Health Care
America has been the world leader in the availability of quality health care provided to its citizens. At the same time, people in our district and across the country have valid concerns regarding cost and access to health care. However, these problems will not be solved, by a nationalized healthcare system like the one advocated by Congressman Altmire. While my opponent voted against the health care bill passed by the House, he claims to prefer the version passed by the Senate, which, among other provisions:- Takes health care resources from senior citizens,
- Removes the doctor patient relationship,
- Increases taxes on small businesses, and
- Inflicts penalties on citizens through the IRS code.
Congressman Altmire will not fight for such a repeal. On the contrary, Congressman Altmire has never objected to the big government approach set forth in the current versions of healthcare legislation being debated. In fact, he has objected that none are big enough, including those with the so called “government option,” that includes rationing of health care. Congressman Altmire wants to see more government mandated “cost containment.” Individuals, particularly seniors, should be very concerned about such talk. When the federal government mandates “cost containment,” the only way the bureaucrats can do this is through rationing. Jason Altmire has already laid the groundwork for such a rationing scheme with his vote for a new billion-dollar bureaucracy similar to the rationing body at work in Britain’s National Health Service. I believe the way forward on health care is to empower patients, not Washington bureaucrats, and to let the market begin to put downward pressure on costs. To that end, I support:
- Individual ownership of health insurance, so it is portable from job to job,
- Giving individuals who purchase their own health insurance the same tax breaks that businesses receive
- Cutting red tape that prevents insurance companies from offering plans across state lines,
- Offering sliding scale tax credits to help those who cannot afford a catastrophic coverage plan to be able to purchase one on an open, national market,
- Reduced mandates and restrictions on Health Savings Accounts, and
- Medical malpractice reform.
