HOMEPAGE > Fundamental Health Care System Reforms Needed
There is no question that our healthcare system needs reform to reduce skyrocketing medical costs and improve access to quality healthcare for all Americans. But we cannot afford to enact another costly government program that adds more debt onto future generations and could end up creating more problems than it solves.. That is why I voted against the current House bill (H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009) when it came through the Energy and Commerce Committee. I also signed a pledge to my constituents promising to read any health care bill in its entirety before voting on the bill.
Any health insurance reform legislation passed by Congress should contain the following fundamental principles:
Allow Americans to Keep the Coverage They Like:
Currently, over 160 million Americans are covered by health insurance provided by their employers. The vast majority of these folks are happy with the quality of their coverage, but of course no one is happy with the rate at which their premiums are increasing. I want reform that reduces or reverses the rate of increase. Unfortunately, the employer penalty in the House bill could force many employers to drop employee health coverage, forcing folks into a government-run public plan.
Guarantee Protection of the Doctor-Patient Relationship:
Patients must be able to seek care from the doctor of their choice and the decisions they make should be made without delay or denial of care by government bureaucrats.
Shore up Existing Government Programs like Medicare and TRICARE (Veterans):
Before adding another government program, we need to make sure vital programs serving millions of Americans, including our older Americans and veterans, are financially sound, well managed, and available for current and future generations.
Provide Incentives, Not Penalties, for Employers to Provide Coverage:
Businesses should be provided with incentives such as tax credits if they provide health insurance to their employees. Smaller businesses should also be allowed to join together in purchasing pools to buy health insurance at a lower cost.Unfortunately, H.R. 3200 penalizes businesses for not providing coverage, which could lead to the loss of millions of jobs.
Provide Tax Credits for Individuals and Families to Encourage Them to Buy Health Insurance:
Individuals who purchase health insurance on their own should receive tax benefits similar to those who purchase through their employers. If people do not have access to employer-provider healthcare coverage, they should be eligible for a tax credit . This would help insure greater coverage of many Americans who are now uninsured and spark greater competition among insurance providers.
End Frivolous Lawsuits That Drive Up the Cost of Medical Liability Insurance and Put Caregivers out of Business:
One of the main drivers of increased health care costs is the prevalence of unnecessary tests and "defensive medicine" practiced by providers who are worried about lawsuits that could bankrupt their practices or families. In order to truly control costs, we must reform our tort system to remove the incentives for bad actors to make a quick buck through lawsuits. Meaningful tort reform would reduce unnecessary testing, as well as the crippling cost of malpractice insurance paid by our doctors and hospitals.
Improve and Allow Health Insurance to Lower Costs, Increase Flexibility and Expand Coverage:
Americans should be allowed to keep insurance plans that they like if they change their employment situation. They should also be allowed to buy insurance from companies in other states if it is less costly. This could easily be done through simple changes that would allow employers to help pay for individual policies, as well as federal preemption of state insurance mandates. In addition, we must improve coverage for life-saving treatments currently denied by many insurance companies and out of reach for far too many Americans, even those with insurance.
Not Allow Insurers to Deny Coverage Based on Pre-existing Conditions:
Currently, insurance companies try to work the system in their favor by denying coverage to Americans who have serious, preexisting conditions or for arbitrary reasons. As a result, folks are put at a severe disadvantage when they have conditions over which they have no control. Insurance companies should not be allowed to continue this practice as it is both inhibits expanded access and drives up cost.
Provide Incentives for Preventative Programs and Wellness Practices:
A large contributor to rising costs is the fact that many Americans lead unhealthy lifestyles and do not take easy steps early in life to prevent more severe health problems down the road. Our system currently does not do nearly enough to reward good health and wellness practices. We need incentives to employers, insurers and individuals to promote healthy lifestyles and help head off serious problems such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
Continue Investment in the National Institutes of Health to Research Cures for Devastating Diseases:
America is a world leader in health care research to fight devastating diseases and in Michigan we are blessed to have several of the leading universities and companies conducting this research. Diseases like cancer rob many families of their loved ones and end up costing much more to treat than if they had been prevented in the first place.
Not Include a Government-Run "Public Option":
H.R. 3200 includes a public plan, based on Medicare that has an inherently competitive advantage over private insurance plans. The inclusion of this plan would force many private plans to reduce services in order to compete, and may ultimately force many of them out of the market completely. This would result in a “single-payer" system similar to Canada and Great Britain. Critics of these systems say that quality of care suffers, patients are forced to wait months to see a doctor, and the survival rate for serious conditions such as cancer is, on average, 20 percent lower than ours. |
