Spending in the United States on health care continues to grow faster than the economy. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), over the past 30 years, total national spending on health care has more than doubled as a share of gross domestic product (GDP). That share will double again by 2035. Spending for Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) will total $634 billion and account for about 23% of federal outlays in 2007. We must work to reduce these costs and reform our entitlement programs without jeopardizing the quality of care.
Healthcare Reform: Offering more choices to reduce costs
Our health care system should be reformed to manage increasing costs and bring coverage to the 45 million Americans who are currently without health insurance. We can address the uninsured population without sacrificing the high quality and access to care enjoyed by many Americans. Unlike many other countries, American hospitals treat all those who walk through their doors, regardless of whether or not they have health insurance. The American taxpayer pays for these costs. Costs for those treated in emergency rooms, which is where a large majority of the uninsured seek treatment, are particularly alarming.
In order to level the playing field, we must consider our options, by providing tax breaks and considering incentives for individuals to purchasing health insurance we can decrease the number of uninsured. Insurance in the United States is primarily offered to individuals through their employers. As it stands now, if your employer provides your health insurance, you are not taxed on the value of the policy, but if you buy your own insurance, you must pay for it with after-tax dollars.
Other options to increase access to health care include Association Health Plans (AHPs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). AHPs will encourage coverage by increasing small businesses' bargaining power with health care providers. HSAs allow for individuals to take responsibility for their health care choices and encourage savings for future health expenses.
Congress must also protect our nation's doctors through medical liability reform. Our unregulated medical tort system has caused soaring medical professional liability insurance costs. Consequently, doctors and other health care providers have been forced to abandon patients and practices, particularly in high-risk specialties such as emergency medicine and obstetrics and gynecology. Efforts to stop frivolous lawsuits and other waste, fraud and abuse in our health care system are needed so that good doctors stay in business and can provide care.
Greater price transparency is further needed in our health care system and will encourage consumers to become more cognizant of prices and more prudent purchasers. Use of new technology, such as electronic medical records, will allow health care professionals to more effectively share information, provide better patient care and reduce costs. Our health care professionals must be provided with the tools necessary to properly care for patients, continue important medical research, and develop initiatives to improve our health care system.
Preventative health care is another area that is often overlooked. It is important for citizens of our country to adopt healthy behaviors, such as eating nutritious foods, exercising, and avoiding using harmful products, such as drugs and alcohol. Such behavior often prevents or lessens oneís chances of getting sick and facing serious diseases, such as diabetes.
As we enter the New Year, it is my hope that Congress will take the time to thoughtfully consider how we will reform health care. I support quality, affordable health care that focuses on patients and allows for choices, rather than national, government-run health care. Working to insure more Americans will allow for a more economically-secure country. We must work together across bipartisan lines and across various industries to make quality health care more affordable.