What Americans want are common-sense, responsible solutions that address the rising cost of health care and other major problems. In the national Republican address on Saturday, October 31, 2009, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) discussed Republicans’ plan for common-sense health care reform our nation can afford. Boehner’s address emphasized four common-sense reforms that will lower health care costs and expand access to quality care without a government takeover of our nation’s health care system that kills jobs, raises taxes on small businesses, or cuts Medicare for seniors:
▪ Number 1: let families and businesses buy health insurance across state lines.
▪ Number 2: allow individuals, small businesses, and trade associations to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do.
▪ Number 3: give states the tools to create their own innovative reforms that lower health care costs.
▪ Number 4: end junk lawsuits that contribute to higher health care costs by increasing the number of tests and procedures that physicians sometimes order not because they think it's good medicine, but because they are afraid of being sued.
For the full text of Congressmen Boehner’s address, click HERE. For more information about these and some of the other common-sense health care reforms proposed by Republicans, please visit the links below. The Republican health care substitute to be offered during floor debate on Speaker Pelosi's government takeover of health care will incorporate all or part of the following bills:
▪ Empowering Patients First Act (Republican Study Committee Health Care Reform Bill, introduced July 30, 2009)
▪ Improving Health Care for All Americans Act (Shadegg Health Care Reform Bill, introduced July 14, 2009)
▪ Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act (Gingrey medical liability reform bill, introduced June 6, 2009)
▪ Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2009 (Johnson small business health plans bill, introduced May 21, 2009)
▪ Promoting Health and Preventing Chronic Disease through Prevention and Wellness Programs for Employees, Communities, and Individuals Act of 2009 (Castle Wellness & Prevention Bill, introduced July 31, 2009)
▪ Improved Employee Access to Health Insurance Act of 2009 (Deal auto-enrollment bill, introduced October 15, 2009)
▪ Health Insurance Access for Young Workers and College Students Act of 2009 (Blunt bill to improve health insurance coverage of dependents, introduced October 21, 2009)
- Sarah Palin
As a doctor I have a few recommendations for reform:
▪ Number 1: America has a severe shortage of doctors, mainly family doctors and pediatricians. To resolve this problem the United States Medical Licensing Board needs to incorporate a new and more specialized exam for family doctors and pediatricians, like we have in Puerto Rico. This has increased the amount of doctors in the PR and it is the only area of the United States that does NOT have a shortage of doctors.
▪ Number 2: Once all the recommended reforms have been incorporated I believe Health Care can and should be $50 a month or $600 a year. This would provide basic coverage, no one can be denied, if you can pay you are covered and only private insurers. This can happen with increased competition and government subsidies for only 2 years.
