Editorial: Health Care Reform
Senior Spectrum Newspaper, 07/2009 - No one is more concerned with reforming our nation’s broken health care system than senior citizens. Nevada seniors need to know that they can rely on their health insurance and Medicare when they get sick or injured. They need to know they can see their doctors, afford their prescriptions, and receive the best care available whenever they need it.
I want to assure Nevada’s seniors the overhaul we are about to embark on will protect their freedom to chose their own doctor, reduce costs and help seniors who can’t get the care they need afford quality health care.
As we continue working to build health care legislation, we do so by ensuring all the stakeholders have a seat at the table – Democrats and Republicans, doctors and patients, health care advocates, and businesses big and small. Doctors want access to the best research so they can provide the best treatment for their patients. Patients want to maintain the good relationships they have with doctors they trust. Businesses want to provide health coverage to their employees without making it harder to do business. There are a lot of interests to consider, and as we move forward my focus will remain on the well-being of my fellow Nevadans.
This bill is already shaping up to be one of the most important pieces of legislation we pass this year. Here are some of the factors I believe are key to good reform.
Good reform emphasizes quality of care for each patient, not just how many patients can be pushed through the system; it gives doctors access to the best research so the best treatments can be found; it ensures patients are not denied coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition; and it encourages wellness while promoting prevention.
Good reform means being able to choose from the best benefits and prices available, not being limited to what insurance companies dictate. It will computerize medical records with strong protection for privacy and create meaningful measures to reduce the costs of procedures, tests, medication, treatments, and hospital visits.
And as President Obama recently announced the Senate’s version of the health care reform bill will contain a provision that works to eliminate the “doughnut hole” in Medicare prescription coverage. Under this agreement drug companies will provide a discount to seniors when they reach this gap in coverage between maximum spending and catastrophic coverage. Medicare beneficiaries will be automatically enrolled to receive a 50 percent discount.
There are some in Congress who want to scare you into believing that the status quo is acceptable. They will tell you that you are going to lose your doctor, that some bureaucrat is going to decide when you get treatment, and that you will lose all your choices. This is just an attempt to keep things the way they are. The government isn’t going to run hospitals or decide your treatment for you. Government believes in protecting existing coverage when it is good, improving it when it is not, and guaranteeing health care for the millions who have no insurance. To put it simply, it’s about giving you the power to choose what is best for you and your family.
Read the whole article >>
Editorial: Health Care Reform
Senior Spectrum Newspaper, 07/2009 - No one is more concerned with reforming our nation’s broken health care system than senior citizens. Nevada seniors need to know that they can rely on their health insurance and Medicare when they get sick or injured. They need to know they can see their doctors, afford their prescriptions, and receive the best care available whenever they need it.
I want to assure Nevada’s seniors the overhaul we are about to embark on will protect their freedom to chose their own doctor, reduce costs and help seniors who can’t get the care they need afford quality health care.
As we continue working to build health care legislation, we do so by ensuring all the stakeholders have a seat at the table – Democrats and Republicans, doctors and patients, health care advocates, and businesses big and small. Doctors want access to the best research so they can provide the best treatment for their patients. Patients want to maintain the good relationships they have with doctors they trust. Businesses want to provide health coverage to their employees without making it harder to do business. There are a lot of interests to consider, and as we move forward my focus will remain on the well-being of my fellow Nevadans.
This bill is already shaping up to be one of the most important pieces of legislation we pass this year. Here are some of the factors I believe are key to good reform.
Good reform emphasizes quality of care for each patient, not just how many patients can be pushed through the system; it gives doctors access to the best research so the best treatments can be found; it ensures patients are not denied coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition; and it encourages wellness while promoting prevention.
Good reform means being able to choose from the best benefits and prices available, not being limited to what insurance companies dictate. It will computerize medical records with strong protection for privacy and create meaningful measures to reduce the costs of procedures, tests, medication, treatments, and hospital visits.
And as President Obama recently announced the Senate’s version of the health care reform bill will contain a provision that works to eliminate the “doughnut hole” in Medicare prescription coverage. Under this agreement drug companies will provide a discount to seniors when they reach this gap in coverage between maximum spending and catastrophic coverage. Medicare beneficiaries will be automatically enrolled to receive a 50 percent discount.
There are some in Congress who want to scare you into believing that the status quo is acceptable. They will tell you that you are going to lose your doctor, that some bureaucrat is going to decide when you get treatment, and that you will lose all your choices. This is just an attempt to keep things the way they are. The government isn’t going to run hospitals or decide your treatment for you. Government believes in protecting existing coverage when it is good, improving it when it is not, and guaranteeing health care for the millions who have no insurance. To put it simply, it’s about giving you the power to choose what is best for you and your family.
Read the whole article >>
