Back to Basics

Our nation’s health care system affects every aspect of American life and every component of our nation’s economy, accounting for approximately a sixth of our nation’s Gross Domestic Product. Also, as you are likely aware, health care spending has risen dramatically in recent years, far outpacing inflation, leaving countless families with difficult decisions about providing care for loved ones. Even Medicare, the vital safety net program for 45 million seniors and disabled individuals, is facing fiscal insolvency and higher out of pocket costs for beneficiaries.

This is simply unsustainable. Health care costs are rising and, if left unaddressed, will undermine Medicare and private insurance. Private insurance currently covers about two-thirds of all Americans and if these programs are undermined or eliminated, it could potentially add to the 48 million Americans currently without any form of health insurance. While the prospects of health care reform are daunting, it must be done, but done right, and in a truly bipartisan fashion.

I believe that there are four pillars that should help guide reform: affordability, portability, access, and quality. No one piece is more important than another, but taken together, I believe that we can create a health care system that can provide affordable, quality health care coverage for all Americans.

Our reform efforts should create a system that enables people to access affordable health coverage that includes high quality health care. Americans want to be able to choose their doctors, coverage, and care, and to have the freedom to seek employment that is not dependent on whether or not insurance coverage is provided. I believe that we can reform the current system to achieve this goal without turning to a government-run plan which would lead to rationed care, creating delays in treatment and eliminating consumer choice.

An increasing amount of our health care dollars and resources are directed towards treating chronic conditions such as heart disease and obesity. Therefore, any new reform must also encourage prevention initiatives that work. Medicare and Medicaid payment systems must also be reformed to promote prevention.

In addition to improving medical care and reducing costs, I believe our health care system should use health information technology to improve efficiency and quality in health care, and that we should find ways to reduce the number of medical malpractice lawsuits, which drive up the cost of health care and make coverage more expensive.

During the recent mark-up of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee’s health reform bill, I supported an amendment which would prevent health care providers from being required to participate in abortions if doing so would violate their personal moral and ethical convictions. As you may know, I have consistently opposed measures which encourage or lead to more abortions, including the use of any federal funding for abortions.