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Healthcare Reform

For Congressman David Dreier’s statement on H.R. 3692, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, click here.

Congressman David Dreier is a strong proponent of reforming our healthcare system in a way that enhances the affordability and availability of quality healthcare options, without limiting patient choice. There are a number of steps Congress can take to reduce costs for working families without rationing care or raising taxes. For example, Congressman Dreier supports implementing medical malpractice reform to redirect resources from trial lawyers to patients. Congressman Dreier also believes that small businesses must be empowered to provide more affordable healthcare options and that they should have the ability to band together, to achieve the economies of scale that large corporations have.

For more information on legislation Congressman Dreier coauthored on healthcare reform, click here.

Health Savings Accounts

To achieve these goals of greater control and more affordable access, I believe that we should embrace consumer-driven healthcare initiatives that will allow greater individual access to, and management of, health plans. Congress has already taken an important step in that direction by creating the Health Savings Account (HSA) in 2003, with my support. HSAs are tax-free savings accounts that allow individuals and families to save for their healthcare needs. These accounts make medical expenses like co-pays and prescription costs more affordable. And because these tax-free savings can rollover from one year to the next, families are able to prepare for future medical expenses and lessen the financial burden on their monthly budgets.

Fair and Simple Tax Act

Currently, the federal government exempts employer-provided health benefits from taxation. Congress can help expand personal ownership of healthcare by providing the same tax benefits for individuals and families who purchase their own coverage. I introduced legislation, H.R. 99, the Fair and Simple Tax Act, which would provide a tax deduction of $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for families to purchase healthcare if they do not have access to coverage through their employer, or if they with to have greater control over their coverage than their current employer-based program allows. Additionally, any unspent funds may be placed in a HSA.

E-Health

Healthcare is the only major industry in America that has not yet incorporated information technology (IT) into its daily operations. The challenges and shortcomings of this outdated system have led to costly duplicative efforts, inefficiencies and even serious medical errors. By bringing our healthcare system into the 21st century, we can save lives, improve patient care and reduce costs, making coverage more affordable and more effective for working Americans.

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