Patient Centered Health Care

Over the last year our nation was engaged in a very important debate about the direction of our health care system. Throughout the debate, I stated that health care must be strengthened in America with the right kind of reform to lower costs, improve health outcomes, and protect vulnerable persons.

Unfortunately, the White House and leaders in Congress chose to push through a very large, very complex, and very costly health care bill, despite the serious concerns of many Americans. With a bi-partisan group of House members, I voted against the House bill last October, and against the Senate version, which has since become law. Instead of squarely addressing the underlying cost drivers of health care, this plan substantially shifts costs to more unsustainable government spending, erodes health care liberties, and increases health care expenses for many Americans. Approximately half of the new coverage in the law is an expansion of the Medicaid program, which is already on an unsustainable spending path.

If Congress had taken a more pragmatic and collaborative approach, we could have reached bipartisan agreement on such critical issues as prevention; health and wellness; pre-existing conditions; expansion of community health centers; and more affordable insurance options for small businesses, farmers, families, and vulnerable persons. Other commonsense reform proposals included buying insurance across state lines, portability, and enhancing Health Savings Accounts.

While some aspects of these policy ideas are included in the bill, the health care and government spending problem is masked. We can do better.

Even though this version of health care reform has become law, I will continue to advocate more commonsense and patient-centered measures that address the rising costs of care without shifting the burdens in the system.