William H. Frist: “wherever I travel, Americans tell me the same things about our health care system: it costs too much, leaves too many…”

“wherever I travel, Americans tell me the same things about our health care system: it costs too much, leaves too many without insurance, and does too little to help those in need. America has the world's best hospitals, doctors, nurses, and medical research labs. But we do not always provide the best care. And we certainly do not provide it at an affordable price. We face real problems. And we need to act. Two years ago, I appointed a task force to investigate what Congress could do. Under the leadership of Senator Judd Gregg, the task force reported back with a series of comprehensive recommendations. The President has also proposed some very constructive policy initiatives. We took all of these proposals into account when we wrote this bill. The legislation we propose today will build upon our record of accomplishment on health care. The Republican Congress has created a Medicare drug benefit for seniors, made tax-free, portable Health Savings Accounts available to all Americans, and has begun the process of moving our medical system into the information age. This week, we will pass and send to the President a long-overdue measure to encourage doctors and hospitals to report medical errors voluntarily. The measure will save lives, and it will improve health care quality. But we still have more to do. The legislation we are proposing today focuses on three broad areas: reducing costs, expanding health coverage, and improving the quality of care.…”