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What to make of health-care
reform
Rep. Barbara Bailey
We are
starting to hear a lot about health-care reform at the national level.
President Obama and his top advisors have promised major legislation by
August, and I take them at their word.
Let’s start with
something most of us agree on: there is a health-care crisis. Solutions
must move forward; however, we must get them right. Too often we see
legislation pass and problems declared solved, only to learn later that
these actions actually made problems worse.
Our two biggest
challenges are containing health-care costs and addressing our uninsured
population. The cost for a family health benefit plan has nearly tripled
since 2000, while small business health benefit plan costs have more
than doubled in this same time period. Around 11 percent of
Washingtonians are without health insurance, with just more than half
being between the ages of 19 and 34.
I’m guided by five
principles as a member of the House Health Care and Wellness Committee.
First, people make better decisions about their health care than
politicians and bureaucrats. Second, quality health care means getting
the care you need, when you need it. Third, all solutions must take into
account costs. Fourth, the private sector must be a part of solutions,
which means creating a health insurance market in which competition
drives down costs. Finally, an expansion of government-run health care
will lead to more costs and fewer choices.
I recently joined my
fellow House Republicans in sending a letter to our federal delegation
in Congress. We expressed concerns about proposals they were
considering, and shared our nine-point plan.
Our balanced
legislation is based on increasing access, reducing costs and providing
quality health care to all families. These bills involve health
insurance approved in other states, health savings accounts, choices for
small employers, tax credits on health-care plans, core-benefit plans,
young-adult plans, health-care provider innovation, and cost
transparency. We also offer solutions for the state’s Basic Health Plan,
which recently saw drastic cuts that will impact some of our most
vulnerable citizens.
House Bill 1869, which I sponsored and
involved cost transparency, was the only measure from our package to
pass this year. A lot of work remains to be done.
I know how
important health-care issues are for small businesses and families.
Please stay tuned. If you would like to look at the aforementioned
letter and nine-point plan, please visit my Web site at
http://www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Bailey/ and click on “News &
Info.”
Representative Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, serves the 10th Legislative
District. She is the ranking Republican on the House Financial
Institutions and Insurance Committee, and a member of the House Health
Care and Wellness Committee.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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