Ron Wyden: “Since a new system took effect here last year, cost growth is projected to fall this year to about 3 [percent] after…”

“Since a new system took effect here last year, cost growth is projected to fall this year to about 3 [percent] after inflation from 4.5 [percent] in 2006. Waiting lists are shrinking, and private health insurers are coming up with innovative ways to care for the sick. What struck Senator Bennett and I is, there is an awful lot of comparison between our bipartisan legislation and the experience of the Dutch. For example, both in Holland and in the United States under our proposal, there would be a requirement that individuals would have to purchase their own health insurance. Insurers under our proposal, as in Holland, would not be able to discriminate against individuals who have had illnesses. We saw in the movie ``Sicko'' that wonderful scene with the ``Star Wars'' music describing all the various conditions that individuals might have that would exclude them from insurance coverage. That would be illegal under what Senator Bennett and I are advocating. It is illegal, according to the Wall Street Journal, in the Netherlands. Finally, in the Netherlands and under our legislation, there is a sharp and specific focus on prevention and wellness. The tragedy in our country is, we don't have health care at all. What we largely have is sick care. Medicare shows this probably more clearly than anything else. Medicare Part A will pay huge expenses for senior citizens' hospital bills.”