Paul Tonko: “Thank you, Representative Kaptur. Please feel free to share more information with us. The anecdotal evidence that you…”

“Thank you, Representative Kaptur. Please feel free to share more information with us. The anecdotal evidence that you provide from your region alone speaks to the empowerment that is part of this transition, this progressive policy. And to now attempt to repeal, just as you've given people the sense of hope that there will be a doable outcome, that they won't have to cut medication in half so that they could have enough money to do all the other items that are required of them, to pay utility bills, or to afford to eat for that given month--the fact that they would cut their medication in half is not a sound thing. They're spending money, and it's probably ineffective. And so tethering people to a system that is sound and secure. You know, when people say, well, I don't want to pay for someone's insurance, I don't want to pay for this health care program. You're paying today through premiums and through taxes. You're paying for the worst sort of outcome by putting people into emergency rooms and having them visit with a different doctor each time they visit and not having the stability and the standardized outcome that is predictable and effective and efficient. These are the dynamics that are driven by the soundness of a policy like this, that, yes, will take investment, but will get far greater bang for the buck than what we're getting today with a haphazard sort of response that does not provide continuity or direction or standardization or predictability and certainty.…”