Feb 20, 2009 | Click here to send an email.
The Future of Health Care
   

As Americans, we have one of the best, most sought-after health care systems in the world. Individuals come to the U.S. from all over the world to receive health treatments and procedures because of the quality of care they receive here. Thousands of foreign students choose to receive their medical education in the U.S. because of the quality training we provide. But despite our first-rate care and training, we face an expanding array of health care challenges, not the least of which are placing significant strains on our federal budget, on individual taxpayers’ family budgets, and on the 47 million Americans without health insurance.

According to Michael Leavitt, former Secretary of Health and Human Services, in the next two decades, Americans will increase spending on health care from 23 cents of every dollar earned to 41 cents of every dollar earned, including the amount it pays in taxes for Medicare and Medicaid. A study by Harvard University researchers found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses. Entitlement spending, or government spending that takes place automatically every year without any new action by Congress, on programs like Medicare and Social Security, is currently two-thirds of our overall federal spending and growing.

These numbers are staggering, but I doubt that anyone is really that surprised by them. We have been feeling the cost of our current system for years, in our family budgets, in our health insurance premiums, in the surprise medical bill that comes in the mail, and in our small business expenses. And despite this fact, we still have yet to take any significant steps towards revitalizing the current system. Simply, we have outgrown it.

It is clear our health care system needs to be revitalized, and the tough questions are how we do it and where do we begin? There are many in Washington that would have us believe that the answer is to let the government take control of health care and many others who believe that would be the worst avenue for us to take. Perhaps we can begin by considering what a government-run system would look like. Let’s take, for instance, Canada’s health care model. In 2006, 70% of Canada’s health care system was financed by the government, compared to 46% in the U.S.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the U.S. There are also 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. today. Largely this high survivor rate is due to early detection and treatment efforts in the U.S. – 90% of individuals in the U.S. who find out they have breast cancer begin treatment within two weeks. In Canada, only 70% begin treatment within two weeks, and many choose to come to the U.S. for treatment instead.

Diabetes impacts 23.6 million Americans, and it is one of the principle diseases that cause health issues for senior citizens. In the U.S., 93% of individuals receive diabetes treatment within six months while only 43% of Canadians begin treatment in six months.

MRIs use an imaging technique to spot many diseases early on within the cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal systems. Right now, most Americans can schedule an MRI in less than a week, giving physicians critical time to begin treatment on any irregularities they find. Most Canadians, however, must wait over a year for an MRI costing the patient critical treatment time.

Stories of poor care under government-run systems show us that the answer is not to dramatically shift our system away from a patient-centered system. Yet, just last week a number of concerning health provisions that will put our country on the path towards government-run health care were included in the $790 billion economic stimulus package. Among those provisions was the expansion of a National Coordinator of Health Information Technology whose responsibility will be to monitor doctors’ actions to ensure they are doing what the federal government decides is appropriate for health treatments. Although health provisions like this one were tucked away in the over-1000 page bill, they make a very blatant move at shifting patient-doctor decisions to bureaucrats in Washington.

Our goal must be to seek a balance, by providing even higher quality health care at an overall lower cost. We need to protect that individual right, while expanding access to care for seniors and low-income Americans. There are a few ways Congress can do this.

We need to increase choices for health insurance. We can do this by allowing families to purchase insurance across state lines, to carry their insurance with them regardless of change in employment or a decision by an employer, and to opt to use Health Savings Accounts. These initiatives rely on competition and individual responsibility – not government mandates and more bureaucracy – to achieve reform. Programs like Association Health Plans allow businesses to join together to offer health insurance at a much lower cost to their workers. Repairing and strengthening the health care marketplace is the best way to both preserve quality and lower costs in our health system.

We also need to bring our health care system into the 21st century through the use of technology. Out-of-control medical malpractice lawsuits have prompted physicians to order billions of dollars unneeded tests, straining our health care system and limiting the number of quality physicians to patients. Investing in virtual hands-on training for medical professionals and electronic charting for patients has been proven to reduce medical errors and could reduce health care costs up to $17 billion a year in the U.S. I have introduced a bill, the Enhancing SIMULATION Act (H.R. 855), which would prioritize these commonsense technology efforts in our medical system, creating an important step forward in modernizing our current health care system.

Over the coming months, I will be following this issue of health care very carefully, seeking solutions that don’t just take the easy way out through broad and sweeping changes to our patient-centered system, but that take small, but valuable, steps forward aimed at transforming our health care system. We stand at a critical juncture in our health care system, but I am confident that we can maintain the best, most sought after system in the world if we transform our current system into one of empowerment, choice, and quality for all Americans.

 

 

Going to college next year?

Get FAFSA forms in early

 

In today’s economy there is an increasing number of families looking for help in paying for college.  Because of the increase of those applying for financial aid, the Federal Student Aid office of the U.S. Department of Education is encouraging families to apply for federal assistance early for the 2009-2010 academic year. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the standard application required for students to be considered for federal student aid such as grants, work-study assistance, and loans. The following information from the Federal Student Aid will help you in filling out and submitting your FAFSA forms. 

 

Getting Started

To simplify the application process, gather required documents and other information ahead of time. Use these time saving suggestions from Federal Student Aid.

 

For additional information on the federal student aid application process, use the FAFSA4caster.

 

Filling Out a FAFSA

The FAFSA contains questions that ask about you, your financial information, your school plans, and more. After you have gathered all necessary documents, click here to begin filling out your FAFSA.

 

Follow Up on a FAFSA

If you've already submitted your FAFSA, you can check the status of your application, make corrections to a processed FAFSA, and get other information by visiting the Federal Student Aid FAFSA Follow Up page.

 
 

SPOTLIGHT
 

DTV Transition Update

 


The DTV transition date has been extended to June. However, some television stations opted to transition this week. For more details on what you need to know regarding the transition, follow the link below.


Follow this link for information.

 


 

Congressional Internships Available

 


Congressman Forbes has Congressional internships available in his Colonial Heights District office for college students or recent graduates. Follow the link for more information on how to apply.


Follow this link for information.

 


 

A Guide to Surviving the Economic Downturn

 


In this Guide to Surviving the Economic Downturn, you'll find resources and information on anything from avoiding foreclosure, to securing your retirement, to employment opportunities with the federal government.


Follow this link to read more.

 


Other News

Feb 18, 2009 Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) Announces Office Hours in Suffolk

Feb 18, 2009 Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) Announces Office Hours in Smithfield 

Feb 17, 2009 Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) Reintroduces Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Health Care Costs



     
ON THE HILL
PHOTO GALLERY

Congressman Forbes meets with Powhatan officials

Congressman Forbes meets with Smurfit-Stone Paper Mill workers in Hopewell.
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