Health
Health issues affect us all and determining the best means of addressing them is an important part of my work in Congress.
Health care costs are crippling employers and employees alike. This is an area that I hear much about from constituents. The health care reform enacted in 2010 did nothing to address the root problem of health care: the cost. Additionally, I believe that we need more patient-centered solutions to our health care challenges.
The health care reform enacted last year is a prime example of government over–reach. I hear regularly about items such as the 1099 reporting requirement, which is a potentially crushing burden for small businesses and farmers (I cosponsored HR 4 in January to repeal this requirement).
I am also concerned that the reform enacted ties the hands of New York State government with regard to Medicaid reform – Medicaid is the single largest component which keeps property taxes in New York State so high.
That is why I voted to repeal Obama Care and replace it with a common sense solution to spiraling health care costs which will guarantee that all Americans have access to the care they need. This repeal vote begins the process of putting brakes on Obama care before complete implementation in 2014. We have to begin the process and discussion of what to keep and what to junk (such as the individual mandate and 117 new agencies required to oversee health care).
Here a few of the policies I will work for going forward that will make health care more accessible and affordable for everyone:
- I support the notion that all Americans, regardless of pre-existing conditions and past illnesses, get coverage at affordable prices.
- I support competition by allowing Americans to shop for coverage from coast to coast.
- I support tort reform to help end unnecessary tests and procedures that doctors sometimes order which drive costs up, not because it is good medicine, but because they are afraid of being sued.
- I support coverage for young adults up to age 26 under their parents’ policies.
- I support fixing the “donut hole” so Seniors aren’t paying exorbitant costs of out of pocket for prescription drugs and other medical necessities.
We will move forward carefully and with due diligence to reform Medicaid and Medicare, whose costs are being passed down to every county, town, city and village in our district. Taxpayers can no longer bear the burden of these costs, and only real health care reform will alleviate some of this burden.