BAUCUS: HEALTH CARE REFORM IS KEY TO STRENGTHENING ECONOMY
Chairman Urges For Health Care Reform Legislation To Be A Part Of A Recovery Plan
November 19, 2008
(Washington, D.C.) – One week after announcing his health care reform plan, Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus today held a Senate Finance Committee hearing focusing on how reforming health care and strengthening the country’s economy are tied together.
Baucus is chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee and is leading the charge on health care reform.
“Health care reform is not a distraction from addressing the economy,” said Chairman Baucus at today’s hearing. “Health care reform is central to restoring America’s economy. Comprehensive health reform legislation must be part of any successful economic recovery plan.”
Last week, Baucus introduced his blueprint for reforming the country’s health care system. Baucus wants to ensure that all Montanans and Americans have access to quality, affordable health care.
Goals Of Baucus’ Plan:
· Achieve universal coverage
· Reduce health care costs
· Improve the quality of care our system provides
· Baucus’ vision for achieving these objectives includes an individual responsibility to hold health insurance – once quality, affordable, care is accessible to all.
· His plan seeks to reach that point through measures to shore up the employer-based system, through a one-stop insurance marketplace for individuals and businesses, and through limited expansions of public programs.
Baucus’ plan also includes a number of insurance reforms to make the market work better for American health care consumers, and delivery system reforms that emphasize better quality, primary care for more patients, and a stronger focus on preventive care. Baucus also suggests potential savings and efficiencies that can be found in a remade health care system to reduce the cost of reform.
“We need immediate action on health care reform,” Baucus said. “Health care costs and the economy are linked: The key challenges of our health care system are high costs, low quality, and insufficient access. Those challenges have a direct effect on family budgets. They have a direct effect on American businesses and their ability to compete. And they have a direct effect on government spending. We need to reform the health system. I’m committed to working together with my colleagues and the new Administration to make sure all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care.”
To ensure that changes to the health care system work for Montana, Baucus has held listening sessions across Montana over the past year. Also, Baucus has held 13 Finance Committee hearings to examine the different areas of health care reform – including a field hearing in Missoula in October. He also held a health care summit in Washington, D.C. with senior members from the Senate and House and national health care leaders.
An executive summary of Baucus’ health care reform plan is below. For a full copy of Baucus’ plan please go to: http://finance.senate.gov/healthreform2009/home.html
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