Congressman Blackburn understands that the rising cost of health care coverage is unsustainable. She also knows that the current health care market leaves too many Americans without the care they need at a price they can afford. She believes that market based reforms, that put patients and not Federal bureaucrats in the drivers seat, are the best means to expand access at a lower cost.
To that end, Congressman Blackburn supported moves by House Republicans to repeal ObamaCare and was one of the first Members to introduce legislation to replace it. H.R. 371 would allow Americans to shop for health care insurance across state lines, allowing insurance companies to compete for your business. For more information on H.R. 371, please click here.
Much of the health care debate you will see in this Congress is a result of the law passed in the 111th Congress- a law that even supporters acknowlegable is filled with unworkable levels of bureaucracy. You can find material on that debate below:
Materials From The 111th Congress' Health Care Debate:
Republican Joint Economic Committee compiled a chart to show the American public what ObamaCare looks like. Click here to see our new government health care system.
House Ways And Means Committee Timeline of Health Care Changes You Can Expect!
Summary of Changes To America's Health Care System
CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW A SINGLE STUDY ON MAMMOGRAMS CAN HAVE BROAD IMPACT UNDER HEALTH CARE REFORM
Congressman Marsha Blackburn On Whats At Stake With Health Care Reform:
Congressman Blackburn sits on the vital Energy and Commerce Committee that oversees health care in the U.S. House, and knows that health care is one of the most pressing fiscal challenges facing Federal and State governments, businesses of all sizes, and the American family.
The most pressing issue before the Energy and Commerce Committee is HR 3200, a bill to reform health care. Congressman Blackburn is concerned that the proposal would amount to a government takeover of the health care industry which accounts for 17% of our GDP and impacts every American.
Congressman Blackburn's concern about HR 3200 comes from Tennessee's own experience with TennCare. TennCare was an early attempt at government-run public option health care. While it promised to save costs and cover more people, TennCare did the opposite. The program cut care and nearly bankrupted Tennessee. Earlier this year, Marsha asked the Health and Human Services Secretary what lessons the Administration had learned from the TennCare experience as they put together their new proposal. Congressman Blackburn remains disatisfied with her answer.
As she examines new health care proposals, Marsha keeps the lessons she learned from TennCare in mind.
Blackburn sees many of the same concerns she held about TennCare in the 1990's cropping up again in the current proposal. This includes powerful new government bureaucrats like the proposed Health Choices Commissioner and 52 other new government run programs and commissions. She is also concerned about the massive government bureaucracy that patients would have to contend with get the care they need. A similar bureaucracy led to rationing of care in Tennessee. Marsha Blackburn doesn't want that for America. We just can't afford to have a bureaucrat in the exam room with you and your doctor.
Congressman Blackburn has pledged not to vote for HR 3200 before she and her constituents have had 72 hours to read the final bill in its entirety online.
Once HR 3200 passed through various committees, it was combined into the nearly two thousand page HR 3962. This bill is twice as long, but still has many of the same problems that HR 3200 does. Instead of empowering health care consumers and bringing the cost of care down, HR 3962 forces health care decision making to Washington.
Health Care Proposals Marsha Supports
H.R. 3200 is not the only health care reform bill in the House of Representatives. Many of Congressman Blackburn's colleagues have written their own, thoughtful, reform proposals that are worthy of House consideration. Most of these proposals address the urgent need for reform without creating a new federal bureaucracy.
Blackburn supports an alternate health care proposal by Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona.. This proposal would give Americans tax incentives to purchase health insurance privately while expanding the pool of groups that can offer health care coverage. By using these market forces to expand health care competition, prices will come down while quality of and access to care will improve.
Blackburn also supports the Republican Study Committee , Rep. Mike Roger's bill that would use market forces to reform health care, and the recently released GOP Alternative.
Republican Women Speak Out On Health Care:
Even More Proposals...
To highlight her colleagues health care ideas, Marsha took a video camera to the House Floor to ask them what bills they were supporting. Watch the answers below:
Rep. Bachmann on H.R. 502
Rep. Lummis on H.R. 3400
Rep. Scalise on H.R. 3400
Rep. Heller on H.R. 3483
