House GOP outlines health plan for affordable, accessible, available coverage
June 17, 2009
Today the House Republican Health Care Reform Solutions Group outlined their commonsense approach that will reduce costs, expand access and increase the quality of health care for all Americans. U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas), a member of the Health Subcommittee on the Ways and Means Committee and the GOP Health Care Reform Solutions Group, lauded the yet-to-be introduced plan.
“Our plan will make health care more affordable, more accessible and more available. If you like your health plan – you should be able to keep it. A government takeover of health care would raise costs and put bureaucrats, not patients and doctors, in charge of critical medical decisions. Yet that appears to be just what the Democrats in charge of Washington are doing. They are privately crafting their government-run plan that would tax employee health benefits and eliminate consumer choice” said Johnson.
Go to Johnson’s website, SamJohnson.house.gov to participate in the latest policy poll: Would you be willing to pay higher taxes to guarantee health insurance for all Americans?
Johnson hailed the GOP initiative for dramatically boosting the number of Americans with insurance. The plan would strengthen employer provided coverage by helping the 10 million uninsured Americans who are eligible, but not enrolled in, an employer-sponsor plan get health insurance; the plan does this by encouraging employers to move to opt-out, rather than opt-in rules.
In addition, the measure recognizes that not all high school and college graduates find jobs that offer health insurance after school. The GOP plan allows dependents to remain on their parents’ policies up to the age of 25, helping 7 million presently uninsured Americas. In addition, the proposition would allow states, small businesses, trade associations and other reputable groups to increase their purchasing power by banding together to offer health insurance at lower costs, a benefit enjoyed by big business and labor unions. The GOP proposal also helps employers offer health insurance to workers by reducing administrative costs through a new small business tax credit.
Johnson also likes that the Republican health care plan focuses on innovative preventative and wellness programs to help avoid serious, and costly, illnesses and arms patients with information. For example, the bill makes health care convenient by eliminating red-tape to expand access to Community Health Centers, the first medical point of contact for some. The program establishes plan finders to provide people with the tools that they need to easily find the right health plan that best meets their needs and gives patients access to health care information so that they can identify and select health providers who deliver quality care.
Many seniors feel that there aren’t enough primary care doctors; they are learning this once they find out that their long-time doctor does not accept Medicare patients and they’re forced to find a new primary care doctor. The proposal provides incentives to physicians who enter the field of primary care, increasing access to the front-line doctors patients need. The program also promotes home care and independence for patients, rather than forcing people into institutionalized settings.
“Our plan puts patients back in control of their health care decisions, right where they belong. The Democrats want the government to run the nation’s health care system. I don’t think folks are willing to pay higher taxes just to ensure that every American has health insurance. We need to ensure that folks have a choice when it comes to their health care and that they are not denied a procedure or drug or surgery because Democrats forced them into one-size fits all, rationed care,” concluded Johnson.
Complete legislation based on the group’s outline will be introduced in the near future. Johnson represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.
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