Health Care
America has the world’s greatest system of health care. Whether it’s the medical education provided by our renowned institutions, the cutting edge research and development conducted by our unparalleled facilities, the quality of our healthcare professionals, the safety and effectiveness of U.S. pharmaceuticals, or the system by which medical treatment is dispensed, America has no peer.
Meaningful reform is a worthwhile goal and as your Congressman I will work with responsible members of both parties to promote legislation that supports our system of healthcare. What I will not do, however, is place 1/6th of the U.S. economy in the hands of the same people that brought us Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the inefficient bureaucracies of Medicare and Medicaid.
Bundled into the current debate are three separate issues: Health, Health Care, and Health Care Insurance. Each must be addressed if we are to make any improvements in what is already the global standard of medicine.
Health is often an exclusively personal issue. With the exception of those who suffer from an affliction, many of those whose health is in jeopardy must take responsibility for their behavior, habits and activities. Any reform that asks all Americans to pay for the care of another must take into account the deliberate decisions of the recipient.
Health Care, our overall “system” of medical delivery, is without equal. In spite of punitive regulatory policies that stifle innovation and advances our researchers, practitioners and managers continue to deliver world-class treatment. Instead of focusing on what our system “needs”, Congress should focus on what it does NOT need. Tort reform that protects the patient and the providers will lower costs for all of us. With lower malpractice premiums and a reduction in “preventive” care to avoid lawsuits, the reduced costs of operating will be passed along to customers by providers seeking to compete with the reduced costs of other practices. Health Care Insurance, like other indemnity products, is something that we all dislike but that we all need. The question is how to best provide it. Although some decry the notion of “for profit” carriers, history and common sense dictate that the free market will continue to bring the most benefit to the most people. Competition will drive companies to offer better benefits, better customer service and be more responsive to our demands. When the government bureaucrats seek to provide a service, the inevitable tendency is higher costs and less satisfaction. I challenge those who trumpet a single-payer option to provide one example of a government agency outperforming the private sector. As your Congressman I will look for ways to improve the Health Care Insurance environment, but at the core of any approach will be my faith that American companies are the answer, not an administrator in Washington.
