I believe all Americans deserve access to affordable health care; however, the answer to high costs does not lie with government involvement, increased regulation, or mandates. In fact, those steps often depress the efficiency of programs and create additional costs.
Instead, Congress needs to take decisive steps to remove bureaucracy from healthcare and let patients and doctors direct healthcare decisions. Family-based and patient-centered healthcare will preserve individual choice and transfer decision making from third-party actors. In addition, allowing Americans to cross state lines to purchase the most suitable insurance plan and allowing plans to be portable when changing jobs would increase competition and provide for more personalized options.
I believe small businesses need to be given better tools in order to afford healthcare insurance for their employees. Small businesses employ over half of private sector employees, but only 47% of these businesses can afford to provide healthcare for their employees. Associated Healthcare Programs would allow small businesses to arrange their health benefits through associations and make coverage more affordable by spreading risk among a much larger group, strengthening negotiating power, offering insurance across state lines, and reducing administrative costs. Also, instituting pooling mechanisms based on risk factors reduces the average premium cost for employees.
I have signed a pledge to read the bill in its entirety and to vote against any healthcare reform measure that has not been made available to the public for at least 72 hours online. For more information on the pledge and to see which members of Congress have signed the pledge, click here.
A bipartisan solution to healthcare reform is achievable and must be a primary concern of this Congress. If you would like to share your thoughts with me, please contact me.
Please click here to take my healthcare reform survey.
For more on healthcare reform, click here to visit my blog.
OPINION PIECES
OP/ED: One size doesn't fit all by Congressman Jack Kingston
At 17 percent of our economy - $2.4 trillion - America's health care system is larger than the gross domestic product of 200 countries including the United Kingdom, Canada and Russia. Changing our delivery system is an enormous task. The debate did not start with President Obama. Twelve years ago, Republicans in Congress and President Clinton enacted sweeping reforms that created Medicare Advantage and a new children's health insurance program, SCHIP, was started. Read more...
LETTER: If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen by Congressman Jack Kingston
In response to this article in Saturday’s USA Today, Congressman Kingston penned this letter:
Dear Editor: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." Timid or arrogant Democrats who conveniently use the wrath of a few protestors to cancel town meetings should be reminded that these words came from one of their own: Harry Truman. As a veteran legislator, I've hosted countless town meetings including 11 recently on health care. I was expecting 50-60 people but was astounded that 300-500 showed up and some had to be turned away because of seating capacity and the local fire marshal. I'm a conservative Republican. Why are they worried about my vote? Its clear people don't want to take any chances on this one. Democrats should take note. Read more...
ICYMI: The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare by John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods
In case you missed it, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey penned this excellent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal.
With a projected $1.8 trillion deficit for 2009, several trillions more in deficits projected over the next decade, and with both Medicare and Social Security entitlement spending about to ratchet up several notches over the next 15 years as Baby Boomers become eligible for both, we are rapidly running out of other people’s money. These deficits are simply not sustainable. They are either going to result in unprecedented new taxes and inflation, or they will bankrupt us. Read more...
MULTIMEDIA
RECENT DOCUMENTS
