STRENGTHENING YOUR HEALTH CARE
AFFORDABILITY
No family should ever have to choose between putting food on the table and bringing their children to the doctor. Skyrocketing health care costs are forcing companies to lay off good workers just to stay in business. We must make health care more affordable for individuals, families, and employers by extending substantial tax relief to offset rising costs, curbing wasteful spending in government health programs, and enacting meaningful medical liability reform.
1. Immediate Financial Assistance: Provide new tax credits to low- and modest-income Americans, pre- and early-retirees, and employers to purchase health care plans and offset rising medical and administrative costs. Also extend tax benefits and savings plans to those individuals and families who do not currently have employer-provided insurance but purchase health insurance on their own.
2. Enroll the 13 to 16 million American children and adults who are currently eligible for Medicaid but who are not enrolled in it, providing needed care for those who simply cannot afford it.
3. Implement comprehensive medical liability reform that will reduce costly, unnecessary defensive medicine practiced by doctors trying to protect themselves from overzealous trial lawyers.
MORE: Reichert, House Members Work for Tax Fairness for Self-Employed
AVAILABILITY
It is appalling that Americans can pick from a menu of choices to insure their cars but the vast majority still have no choice of health insurance. We must empower individuals and families to choose the health care plans and options that best suit their unique health care needs.
1. Decouple Jobs and Health Insurance: Focus on individuals and families so Americans can keep health insurance and take it with them regardless of a change in or loss of a job.
2. Recognize that not all high school and college graduates are able to find a job that offers health insurance after graduation. By allowing dependents to remain on their parents’ health policies up to the age of 25, we can reduce the number of uninsured Americans by up to 7 million.
3. Use new and existing programs to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of pre-existing conditions or past illnesses, have access to affordable coverage.
QUALITY
We must encourage innovation, invest in medical research, and use scientific advances to transform our health care system to focus on prevention, creating a wellness system, not a treatment system.
1. Promote prevention and wellness by giving employers and insurers greater flexibility to financially reward employees who seek to achieve or maintain a healthy weight, quit smoking, and manage chronic illnesses like diabetes.
2. Reward high-quality care, instead of encouraging health care providers to order more and unnecessary services.
3. Use new and innovative treatment programs to better coordinate care between health care providers, ensuring that those with chronic diseases receive the care they need and do not continue to fall through the cracks.
MORE: Chamber of Commerce Endorses Reichert’s Bipartisan Personal Health Record Bill
