Health Care
To provide every American with quality health care, control skyrocketing costs, and ensure that patients have choices, we need to dramatically improve our health care system. I’m fighting for affordable insurance for the one in four New Mexicans who live without it and stopping skyrocketing premiums for New Mexicans who are paying too much. Congress has already passed legislation to ensure that 11 million children have health insurance and we are in the process of reforming the health care system to provide quality, affordable coverage to all Americans.
Focusing on Preventive Care
We need to convert our “sick care” system into a “health care” system. This means placing a higher emphasis on preventive care. Increasing access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans will be a significant step to insuring that people are treated in a doctor’s office rather than in the emergency room. We also need incentives to change our habits and make sure that New Mexicans are finding time to exercise and eat healthy.
Lowering Health Care Costs through Increased Competition
Across the country, most health care markets are dominated by one or two insurance companies. In New Mexico, two companies control 65 percent of the market. We need more competition to drive down health care costs for consumers. I believe that the best way to achieve this goal is by creating a public health insurance option that provides an alternative choice for New Mexicans who don’t have insurance, while stimulating the necessary competition to drive down prices for those who are happy with their coverage. Creating fair competition in the health care industry will assure the affordability, accessibility and availability of quality health care.
Increasing Transparency in the Health Care Industry
From my time as New Mexico’s Attorney General, I know that the key to consumer protection is corporate transparency. That’s why I’m pushing for increased transparency from the power centers of the health care industry. Opening up the relationship between health care providers and drug and medical device manufacturers will help to keep them honest and reduce costs.
Improving Access in Rural Areas
New Mexicans living in remote areas too often have trouble accessing quality health care. For those living in rural or tribal areas, and veterans, that can mean hours of driving to the nearest doctor or medical facility. I’ve visited many of New Mexico’s rural hospitals and clinics across the state and am committed to making sure these important facilities have the necessary equipment and workforce to provide quality care.