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  Access to Quality Health Care

Our health care system is fragile, and it's reaching crisis level in Washington state.

In 2002, health care costs rose nationally by 8.7% -- the largest rise in over a decade. An increasing number of Americans feel unsure about the quality of their health care and whether or not they will have insurance in the future.

I believe we must make it a goal that every American have health insurance. Not only will this clearly help the 39 million who currently do not have health care, but it makes good economic sense for all of us - people who don't have health care get medical attention through costly emergency rooms, for which taxpayers end up footing the bill. We need to get these uninsured people paying into the insurance system.

We must also work to improve access to prescription drugs. I believe in greater competition through generic drugs and adding a drug benefit to the Medicare program so that our seniors have access to the drugs they need.

 
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Related topics: retirement security
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Adam's Record
on Health Care:
Check Adam Smith recently voted for H.R. 4278, the Improving Access to Assistive Technology for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004. The bill would reauthorize a grant program that provides devices such as voice synthesizers and motorized wheelchairs to the disabled.
Check Adam Smith introduced the Medicare Rx Now Act, to deliver affordable, universal drug coverage (HR 158, 108th Congress)
Red Check Adam Smith introduced the MediFAIR Act, to increase Medicare reimbursement rates for Washington state (HR 2904, 108th Congress)
Red CheckAdam Smith co-sponsored the Medicare Payment Restoration and Benefits Improvement Act of 2003. This bill boosts reimbursement rates for hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice care, physicians, preventative services, home health, Medicare + Choice, renal dialysis, outpatient therapy, ambulance services and immunosuppressive drugs. It also reforms regulatory and contracting processes (HR 26, 108th Congress)
Red CheckAdam Smith supported the Small Business Health Fairness Act to expand access to health insurance (HR 660, 108th Congress)