- Taking lead in health care reform by proposing legislation that provides universal access to health care coverage for all Americans – making health care more transparent, more portable, and more affordable.
- Working to shine light into the health care market with proposals to boost transparency. If patients know up front what services cost and who provides the best service, health care providers will be forced to lower prices and provide better service to attract patients.
Skyrocketing costs have forced families to decide between paying their medical bills, covering other life necessities, or falling into debt. Affordable health care coverage is becoming out of reach for millions of Americans and this is unacceptable. No one should face bankruptcy because of a catastrophic illness; no one should be denied health coverage because they are considered “uninsurable.” For the amount of money the U.S. spends on health care, I am appalled that nearly 50 million Americans are uninsured. To tackle our health care crisis, I have introduced legislation – The Patients' Choice Act of 2009 – that fundamentally transforms America’s fractured and antiquated health care market to ensure everyone has access to coverage. Under my plan, patients and doctors reclaim control of their health care decisions from insurance companies and government bureaucrats, who have driven costs and control out of reach for too many Americans.
I equalize the discriminating tax treatment of health care so that you are not tied to your employer for coverage. My proposal provides all Americans with an advanceable, refundable tax credit. My proposal gives workers and families the freedom to acquire a plan that best suits their needs, and people will no longer live in fear of losing their health care if they lose their job. My proposal gives portability to individuals and greater flexibility to small businesses to help their employees purchase health insurance through the establishment of association health plans.
For individuals and families to shop for their health care, they must have a better sense of what they are expected to pay – and what they are getting for their money. Making data on the pricing and effectiveness of health care services widely available is critical to the success of an effective health care marketplace. My proposal establishes transparency in health care price and quality data, so this critical information is readily available before someone needs health services.
I believe any health care reform proposal must provide protection and access to care for those individuals who need it most. In the current system, uninsured individuals with pre-existing health conditions have the most difficult time finding and affording health care coverage. As a result, many individuals with pre-existing conditions often face bankruptcy to pay for health care expenses or, worse, go without treatment. My plan strengthens the health care safety net for those with pre-existing or chronic medical conditions through the establishment of innovative risk adjustment mechanisms, reinsurance or robust high-risk pools at the state level.
My comprehensive proposal also includes:
- A more sensible approach to combating preventable diseases and promoting healthier lifestyles;
- Long-overdue medical malpractice reform to combat the practice of doctors overtreating and overprescribing patients for fear of legal retribution;
- Meaningful reforms to Medicare and Medicaid will help strengthen these programs in the near term and ensure the sustainability of these critical programs for future generations. Rather than cut benefits or shift burdens onto states, we must fulfill the mission of health security for America's seniors and low-income populations through reform.
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I will continue to fight to reform health care – empowering the patient and their provider, controlling costs, and increasing access.