In 1952, Polio was killing more Americans than any other communicable disease.  With over 300,000 cases and 58,000 deaths – mostly children - reported that year, Polio was widely-considered an epidemic, and many thought there was no hope.

It seemed unthinkable, at that time, that three short years later a man named Jonas Salk would transform the future of health care in America.  His vaccine for Polio eradicated what was once our nation’s most frightening public health problem. Today, Salk’s medical breakthrough is a source of national pride and proof of the power of technology and discovery to radically improve the lives of Americans. Polio is regarded as a national challenge solved through innovation.

We are in a situation today not that dissimilar from Jonas Salk’s era. In the age of Polio, many were quick to write-off a solution to Polio. They thought the problem too big, the number of Polio cases  insurmountable, and a cure improbable. Today, our feelings towards the current healthcare challenges are the same – the problem is enormous and it seems implausible that our challenge would be solved with a solution upon which we all can agree.

Looking at the evidence, it is clear our nation is about to enter a new age in health care. We are teetering on a precarious ledge of government take-over of health care. This week in Washington, leadership proposed a wide-scale government takeover of healthcare run by bureaucrats in Washington.  The over 1000-page expansive bill would raise taxes on businesses and individuals alike, while attempting to control costs largely through regulation and health care rationing.  It would dramatically expand the power bureaucrats have over the health care decisions of Americans, placing Washington in between the decisions of patients and their doctors.

Unfortunately, government-run health care is the modern day equivalent of an iron lung for America’s health care system. Its intentions may be well-placed, but its constrictive nature leaves us without choice in our own healthcare and without the ability to make important medical decisions with our doctors. That type of medical restraint is not a future that most of us would wish for our children and grandchildren.

We need to make a shift in Washington. We need to get out of the business of buying into government-run “solutions” that only intensify the problem through higher taxes and less choice in our individual lives and only get us deeper into debt. We need a new direction for solving America’s health care challenges. The question before us is: what are we going to choose to define our new age in healthcare? Will we rely on the government? Or will we grab hold of the opportunity to take a Jonas Salk-approach by relying on innovation to carry us through to a new age in healthcare?

We can create a new era in medical discovery if we choose the latter. We need a plan that is modeled on innovation, driven by technology and intent on discovery. We need a plan that will set America on a path towards a new health care future, one that places our hope not in federal bureaucrats but in medical discovery, technological breakthroughs and the proven results of the application of this innovation to the lives of Americans. I’ve created a healthcare solution modeled on those ideas that would help us achieve a new future in healthcare. It is rooted in the following six pillars of innovation:

Innovation in Cures
The National Institutes of Health holds distinctions in public sector innovation and excellence rivaled only by the Department of Defense and NASA. It has broken the genetic code, cured cancers, and dramatically reduced deaths from heart attack and stroke, driving death rates from those diseases down by 40% and 51%, respectively. The NIH is an engine of America competitiveness, training our nation’s current and next generation of researchers to ensure that American medical innovation remains strong.

We need to double funding for NIH medical research with near-term benefit for patients suffering from diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. By directing a massive influx of resources to bring about new medical discoveries, we would bring immediate impact to the lives of Americans.

Innovation in Choice
Right now, health care consumers don't know if they are getting the best possible price in health care coverage, and options in health care plans are limited based on an individual’s employer or state.  Creating a health care market exchange where citizens can easily compare cost and coverage of private insurance options would open competition in health care plans, increase health care coverage, significantly lower prices in individual coverage, give families access to more choice, and allow portability in coverage.

Innovation in Transparency
We should require full disclosure of all price and de-identified patient quality information from all government health programs—Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs, and the health insurance program for federal employees—for all providers, suppliers, and health insurers that do business with the federal government, increasing transparency and thereby increasing competition and reducing cost.

Innovation in Quality
Medical trials have shown that improving the quality of care by reducing medical errors could reduce health care costs up to $17 billion a year in the U.S. By investing in virtual hands-on training for medical professionals, we have the ability to reduce medical errors. We should prioritize these commonsense technology efforts in our medical system, thus creating an important step forward in modernizing our current health care system.

Innovation in Efficiency
We could save $30 billion in costs across the nation by moving to an electronic-based medical system. We need to bring America out of an era of ‘carbon paper’ technology in health care and into an era of ‘iPhone’ technology in health care by building on the progress that has been made and setting a national goal of 100% electronic medical records in 10 years.

Innovation in Coverage
Affordable health insurance is one of the most crucial issues facing employees of our nation’s small businesses. By creating Association Health Plans, small businesses could join together to buy much-needed health insurance at rates significantly lower than individuals could purchase independently.

It’s not too late to turn the debate in Washington.  Instead of instituting a government-run plan that would disrupt the employer-based coverage in which 170 million Americans rely, turn back the clock on quality and innovation, and ultimately lead to a fiscal catastrophe, let’s chart the course to a new era in American medical discovery and innovation. Let’s herald an age that will go down in the history books as changing the scientific and medical landscape of our nation; an age that will catapult America as the resounding leader in international medical discovery; an age that will inspire generations of Americans to pursue science, medicine, and innovation. Out in the minds of American scientists are the glimmers of intuition just waiting to be sparked into first-ever treatments and everyday medical tools. We have the proven ability to kindle scientific potential into medical transformation. The question is whether we will seize on this potential.

This article was the final piece in a three-part series on health care in America written by Congressman Forbes.

National Park and Recreation Month

There are thousands of national parks across our nation with historical sites, trails and sports fields, offering our families the opportunity for both an educational and leisurely experience. Taking advantage of the national parks in our area is a great way to improve both mental and physical health, while enjoying our environmental treasures.  The month of July is National Recreation and Parks Month, a time where recreation facilities and parks across the country kick-off summer programs and promote outdoor physical activities.  National Recreation and Parks Month also recognizes the vital contributions of employees and volunteers throughout the country who assist in creating and maintaining public parks and recreation facilities.

For more information on national parks throughout nation, including those in the Commonwealth of Virginia, check out the following sites:

National Park Service
Plan a summer trip state-by-state, search according to your particular interests, make campground and tour reservations, get National Park Passes, and find volunteer opportunities in a National Park near you.

National Parks Conservation Association
Explore your National Parks or research Wildlife Protection, the Wild Alaska, Marine and Coastal Areas, or Cultural Diversity.

Mapping the National Parks
Explore documents the history, cultural aspects, and geological formations of areas that eventually became National Parks.

U.S. National Parks
Visit this site for assistance in planning a vacation or obtaining data about a park.

National Park Foundation
Visit this site to plan your park trip with the help of park profiles, insider opinions, travel planning resources, junior ranger programs, and National Park pictures.

National Park Service Cultural Resources
Explore America’s past, use the tools for learning, find grants and assistance, or browse the list of cultural resource subjects.

Congressman Forbes spent time this week reading the 1000+ page health care bill. Read the health care bill yourself using the link below.
 

Follow this link to read the bill.  

Congressman Forbes and Members of the Congressional M&S Caucus hosted the 4th Annual M&S Expo this week on Capitol Hill.

Follow this link for photos. 

Forbes Now Accepting 
Applications for Nominations to Service Academies
 

Congressman Forbes is now accepting applications from graduating seniors in the class of 2010 for consideration for nomination to the U.S. service academies.  

Follow this link for details. 

Other News

Jul 15, 2009 
Forbes: Do our national motto and Pledge violate your rights?  
 

Jul 14, 2009
Modeling & Simulation Caucus Hosts 4th Annual Capitol Hill Expo  

Jul 9, 2009
Forbes Announces New District Representative in Hampton Roads