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As I travel throughout Wyoming, almost everyone I talk to – patients, doctors, hospital administrators, and small businessmen – agree our nation’s health care system is broken. Today hospitals struggle with low public and private insurance reimbursement rates to garner revenues, health providers cost shift to those with private insurance, the uninsured access emergency rooms for primary health care at a high cost to taxpayers, Americans pay the highest price for prescription drugs while shouldering global research and development costs, doctors waste billions of dollars on unnecessary tests because they fear potential liability accusations and litigation threats, and small businesses are quickly getting priced out of the health care system only to join the ranks of the uninsured.
By providing financial stability to our rural health care infrastructure, assisting communities to recruit and retain providers, and ensuring residents have access to primary and emergency care, working families will have access to quality, affordable, and accessible health care services. This is a unique challenge in Wyoming where it is not uncommon for people to go without care due to long driving distances or provider shortages. Maintaining a strong rural health care network not only ensures Wyomingites can access the quality care they deserve, but also provides critical infrastructure to drive economic development and job creation. Communities offering viable, sustainable health care options attract and retain residents, workers, and businesses.
As a member of the Senate Finance Committee and as Republican Co-Chairman of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, I stand committed to pushing comprehensive solutions that strengthen our health care infrastructure. That is why I held a Rural Health Care Forum in Wyoming last summer. Folks from different walks of life came out to listen to each other and offer solutions. I believe this dialogue must continue at the federal, state, and local level as we explore several proposals including tax credits, Health Savings Accounts, Association Health Plans, and medical liability reform that show promise to control mounting health care costs.
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