On the recordJuly 10, 2012
I have never doubted my friends on the other side of the aisle's compassion or sincerity, but have always believed there was a better way of handling these health care costs to make sure that we all get the health care we need and the doctor we choose at a price we can afford. Here are some ways we need to do this: Allow people to buy across State lines. A University of Minnesota study said it would drop the uninsured by 12 million; The ability to join groups, because the purchasing power of groups is what is making Medicare part D come in at 40 percent under budget; {time} 1530 Put an emphasis on coordinated care, which decreases hospitalizations and avoidable readmissions and complications, sometimes by 20 to 40 percent; By making sure health care plans are personal, affordable and permanent, you can take the plan you need across jobs and you can't be cut for being sick; To make sure there are tax deductions for buying insurance just like employers have, to allow the chronically ill to be part of high-risk pools; To encourage people to take steps in their own life to maintain their own health, and; To have better use of prescription drugs, generic and nongeneric, which also saves a massive amount of money because some $250 billion a year is wasted in drug problems. We need this instead of $570 billion in new taxes in a $1.76 trillion bill.
