Hastings comments on health reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans deserve access to the health care they need when they need it — at a cost they can afford.
For too many, this is not the reality. Improvements must be made — but reform must focus on lowering health care costs, not increasing government control over your health care and spending trillions more. Central Washington needs health care reform that is patient-centered, reduces costs and lets you and the doctor of your choice keep control over personal health care decisions.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a 2,000-plus page bill written by congressional Democrats with a price tag of at least $1.3 trillion. I voted against this government takeover of our health care because it would eliminate choices, jeopardize existing health plans, cut Medicare for seniors, punish small businesses, increase taxes and put federal bureaucrats between you and your doctor.
Perhaps most concerning is that this bill won’t lower health care costs. According to a report by the Obama Administration’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, health care costs will actually increase if this bill becomes law.
At its most basic, the bill creates a government-run health insurance system that will reduce private health insurance options and force all Americans to purchase coverage from a government-controlled program. The federal government would decide which health care plans are acceptable. A federal commissioner would decide which health care benefits are offered and how much is to be charged. The federal government would decide who can and cannot own a hospital. $500 billion in Medicare cuts would eliminate options for seniors and place recipients under a Medicare without choices.
Put simply, I’m opposed to the federal government deciding how, where, and when you get health care.
Under this bill, many families throughout Central Washington will be forced to give up their current health coverage. Health Savings Accounts and other tools that help families save will be restricted. Doctor-owned hospitals like the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and the clinics it operates throughout our region will be barred from ever expanding – from ever adding another hospital bed.
There are better solutions. I voted for an alternative plan that focuses on lowing costs by expanding health care choices while protecting jobs and preserving the doctor-patient relationship. While this fiscally responsible plan was ultimately rejected by those who control Congress, I want to share just a few of the ways I think we can make health care more affordable.
To lower costs, we must increase choices and put more purchasing power in the hands of patients. You should be allowed the same tax benefits employers currently receive for purchasing health insurance. Tax-free Health Savings Accounts should be expanded – not eliminated. Whether you move jobs or move states, Health Savings Accounts travel with you.
As a former small business owner, I understand how expensive it can be to provide health benefits to employees. Rather than penalizing job-creating small businesses with the new taxes, fines and mandates, Congress must make it more affordable for businesses to offer health plans. Small businesses should be allowed to band together and purchase health insurance at the same rates that big corporations can.
We should allow individuals and small businesses to purchase health insurance across state lines. Frivolous lawsuits that drive up the cost of health care for everyone most be ended. Waste, fraud and abuse must be eliminated. Regulations must be reduced so that doctors and nurses can focus on patients not paperwork. Preventative care and home health care, which save money in the long-run, must be priorities.
In recent weeks and months I have reached out to local families, hospitals, and small businesses to discuss health care and listen to your concerns. As the national debate over the best way to improve our health care system continues, I encourage you to contact me with your ideas.