Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act. I thank both the chair and the ranking member for their support. I also thank Representative Schrier for being such an excellent co-lead and advocate; and Representatives Smucker, Blumenauer, and Pettersen, who continue to also champion direct primary care. Mr. Speaker, a lot of attention gets paid to the Members who come down here and raise their voices and scream and yell about all the things they are really mad at because they want the public to know how mad they are. Every once in a while, we can raise our voices and wave our arms for some good things that we all work on together just to improve people's healthcare. This bill is just that. It is a first step for addressing one of the most important issues in healthcare, which is access. We can promise people health insurance, and we can add more money to it, but it doesn't necessarily translate into actual access to a provider. Direct primary care is one of the easiest and most direct ways to deliver primary care to patients. It is a payment model that makes sense to patients because it is simple. It is unlimited access to primary care providers by paying a monthly fee. It is a win-win for both patients and doctors because it simplifies and guarantees that relationship. It keeps patients out of costly emergency rooms. It saves money for the entire healthcare system. It encourages more efficient preventative medicine, as well.…”