Healthcare

As a member of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, I have the opportunity to work with my colleagues to address the health care needs of our Nation. The Committee will work to address issues such as the uninsured, the financial status of the Medicare program, physician payments, Cancer Care, and healthcare research, to name a few. I am proud to have voted in favor of the legislation authorizing the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit in 2003. This legislation has enabled millions of seniors in Texas and 39 million nationwide to have access to life-saving prescription drugs. Today, seniors are discovering that drugs cost less than expected, and the cost to taxpayers is about $200 billion less than anticipated.

Another issue of concern to me is the lack of health insurance that millions of Americans experience. In 2005, more than 46 million Americans lacked health insurance. The increasing cost of health care has made health insurance coverage inaccessible to many. Lack of insurance affects the individual and the family, but having a large number of uninsured also has implications for the community, employers, and our Nation. While the solution to the uninsured crisis must be multifaceted, I believe tax breaks must play a key role. I have long been a supporter of tax breaks to businesses to allow them to buy insurance for their employees, tax breaks to individuals who purchase individual insurance, and Health Savings Accounts.

Moreover, I believe we must work together to ensure the viability of the Medicare program for future generations. The Social Security and Medicare Trustees issued a Medicare funding warning in April 2007. The report states that Social Security trust funds will be exhausted in 2041 and the Medicare hospital insurance trust fund exhausted in 2019. The Health Subcommittee has held hearings on this issue, and we will work with the President to achieve greater financial solvency for Medicare.

It is important to consider how to control the increasing rate of physician spending while addressing the underlying payment concerns of physicians. I look forward to working with my fellow health subcommittee members on options for repairing or replacing the current payment system.

Lastly, I have long been an advocate of cancer care and increased funding at the National Institutes of Health. This year, I plan to reintroduce legislation that increases payments to oncologists and cancer care clinics.

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