Thanks for chatting!

On Sunday, October 18, Senator Lincoln hosted an online chat to hear from Arkansas voters and to share her views on the critical health care debate ongoing in Washington.

The response was overwhelming. More than 300 questions were submitted via email in the days prior to the chat. Nearly 400 participants joined the live one-hour session and submitted hundreds comments and questions, resulting in a lively and robust discussion - in the best Arkansas tradition.

You can read a transcript of the chat below.

Frequently Asked Questions

With so many submissions, it was impossible to respond directly to every question. Senator Lincoln reviewed the comments from across the state and formulated answers to some of the most common topics. You can read her responses below.

We're sorry if your question or comment didn't get posted, but we hope that these FAQ answers will address some of your concerns. We'll do our best to schedule a longer session next time to accommodate even more back-and-forth.

Additionally, you can send your health care question for Senator Lincoln via email to questions@blancheforsenate.com.

Thanks again to everyone who participated. Senator Lincoln is grateful that so many Arkansans are engaging in this critical national debate.

On the Public Option

When I hear from Arkansans who favor a public option as part of health insurance reform, I find that we share the same goals. Health insurance companies are denying Arkansans the treatment they need while health care costs continue to rise for Arkansas families and businesses. This is why we must act now.

As I have said, there may be no perfect solution for everyone. But, I do believe that the Finance Committee bill goes a long way in giving Arkansas families and businesses the peace of mind of quality, affordable health insurance they can rely on. It will force insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions and offer more fair rates as well as to compete against non-profit, membership-run health insurance co-ops.

Health insurance exchanges will ensure that Arkansas small businesses, the self-employed, and others who can't get affordable coverage through their employers have many options, rather than the one or two choices that most Arkansans have today. In addition, low income families will receive federal tax credits so they can afford to pay low-cost premiums for their coverage.

On Tort Reform

I appreciate your questions about the prospect of including tort reform in the health insurance reform bill.

I believe that every American, including trial lawyers, must be willing to do their part to ensure that every citizen has access to health care. I am concerned about reports that access to some specialties is becoming more limited because of the threat of malpractice lawsuits. I also recognize that many doctors order unnecessary tests and exams to avoid exposure to lawsuits. These factors have a real impact on health care costs.

I am considering various proposals regarding medical malpractice legal reforms as a way to curb defensive medicine. Rather than more treatment, I hope that health insurance reform results in better care for patients.

On Social Security/Medicare

Some of you commented about government programs like Social Security and Medicare because of projections that show both facing long-term solvency problems. Social Security has prevented millions of elderly Americans from living in poverty and Medicare guarantees that we will have adequate health care in our later years.

Social Security and Medicare are important programs for America's elderly and they are both worth fighting for. I believe we can reduce the cost of Medicare by eliminating billions of dollars in waste and inefficiencies. Also, if we can successfully fix our health insurance system so that most Americans have access to health care when they are young, it won't be as expensive to care for them when they are eligible for Medicare.

And, one of the most important things we can do to ensure the long-term financial health of Social Security is to stop adding to the deficit. The Social Security Trust Fund has been used to subsidize the General Fund through purchase of U.S. government bonds for the last 25 years. That's a big reason why I believe it's so important that health insurance reform actually reduces the deficit.

On Deficit Neutrality

Many of you mentioned how important it is to you that the final health insurance reform plan does not add to the federal deficit.

I agree. This is one of my most important principles when deciding if I can support a final plan. The Finance Committee plan which I recently supported will actually reduce the federal deficit by $81 billion, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.