Issues
HEALTH CARE:
Comprehensive health care reform is the great unfinished business of the last half-century in America. We need our health care system to provide meaningful, affordable coverage to every single person in this country, but we also need to deal with escalating costs and the erratic quality of care.
Health reform is not only a matter of fundamental moral values, but an economic imperative as well. 47 million Americans are living, at some point of the year, without any health insurance coverage at all. Health care costs are rising at twice the rate of workers� wages. Excessive waste and medical errors cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives each year. We live in the richest country on earth, but our health care system has fallen far behind, failing too many Americans.
However, the road to fundamental reform of our broken health care system is clear. First, every American must have quality health coverage by 2011, starting with every child NOW. Second, we must control skyrocketing health costs that push families into bankruptcy and put our businesses at a disadvantage in the global economy. Third, instead of telling tens of millions to wait until they are sick enough to go to an emergency room, we should assure high quality preventive care.
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On the first day the Senate was in session for legislative activity, I introduced a bill to guarantee health care insurance coverage for each of the 11 million uninsured children in America today. Kids First builds on successful programs, by creating a federal-state partnership to mandate coverage for all uninsured kids. It's the critical first step to ensure that all kids have the opportunity to grow, learn, and succeed in life.
I also introduced legislation that would help businesses afford to cover their employees, by making a new deal between employers, health insurers, families and the federal government. Today, the high costs of treating the sickest patients are driving up the price tag for everyone�s care and taking a huge toll on businesses. Just one percent of the population pays for nearly a quarter of health care spending. To help businesses get out from under the weight of the most expensive cases, I recently introduced legislation - The Healthy Businesses, Healthy Workers Reinsurance Act, which would reimburse businesses for a percentage of the highest cost cases. It includes cost containment benefits for preventative care, which lowers costs and premiums for employers and employees.
Recently Congress passed a provision in the Medicare Bill regarding electronic prescribing or e-prescribing. Based on bipartisan legislation I introduced, doctors treating patients across the country will receive incentives, such as start-up grants, to adopt e-prescribing technology�the ability to replace handwritten prescriptions with online, automated technology. It will reduce the potential for errors when prescriptions are filled, provide information on the availability of generic alternative medication and streamline patient insurance coverage information. This technology will also warn the physician of potentially dangerous medication allergies or drug interactions. With the adoption of e-prescribing and its final passage, we will improve patient care and take important steps to lowering the costs of healthcare.
An important area in our healthcare system that needs addressing is how we treat mental health and mental illness, especially for our nation�s seniors. For several years, I have introduced bipartisan legislation that removes the discriminatory barriers facing Medicare patients in need of mental health services. Today, seniors in the Medicare program pay a 50% co-payment for mental health services, but only a 20% rate for other medical care. Legislation recently passed by Congress includes my provision that equalizes the Medicare co-payment rates for seniors who are in need of mental health services. This legislation is a critical step toward ensuring that seniors receive the proper, adequate, and timely treatment they deserve.
Finally, I will continue to lead the fight for health care relief for our nation�s small businesses. Some small businesses have reported having their premiums increase by more than 70 percent in one year. And less than half of our smallest firms are offering coverage to their workers today. As Chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, I intend to pursue legislation that will give more small businesses access to quality, affordable insurance options for their workers and families.
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