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| September 9th, 2009 |
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Media Contact(s): Mark Eddington and Andrea Saul, 202-224-5251 |
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Printable Version |
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HATCH TO OBAMA: PUSH FOR RESPONSIBLE, TARGETED REFORM
Bipartisan healthcare reform can be achieved by focusing on areas of compromise, not strife |
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WASHINGTON – Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), member of the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committees, today released a letter to President Obama urging him to push for responsible health care reform that can garner support from both Democrats and Republicans alike.
“Americans deserve a responsible solution that reduces health care costs and improves affordable access to coverage for every family,” Hatch says. “But they also worry about rising deficits, a struggling economy, and preserving their current quality of care.
“In these tough economic times, we have to be realistic about doing too much too fast. There are several areas of consensus … that can form the basis of a financially responsible and targeted legislation that is a first major step in reforming one-sixth of our economy.”
After noting the areas of consensus he references, Hatch continues, “Over the month of August, American families across the nation have made it clear that at a time when government-run programs like Medicare and Medicaid are on a path to fiscal insolvency, the last thing we need is another big federal spending bill. By taking a targeted approach, we can avoid a bill that will raise taxes to be simply passed on to our families, create more joblessness, reduce choices, expand unsustainable entitlement programs that are driving our states bankrupt and start us down a path of a Washington-driven health care system.”
The full letter is attached and below:
September 8, 2009
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
Ensuring access to affordable and quality health care for every American is not a Republican or Democrat issue - it is an American issue. Our nation expects us to solve this challenge in an open, honest and bipartisan manner. I would urge you take this historic opportunity to push for a responsible and incremental health care reform plan that can gain significant support on both sides of the aisle.
The month of August brought more sobering news about the immensely difficult financial times being faced by our nation. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that our deficit for 2009 alone stands at a historic $1.6 trillion. Our national debt is on a path to double within the next five years and triple within the next 10 years. And this is all before the massive price tag associated with health care reform proposals currently being pushed in Congress. It is important for all of us to understand that the full cost of these proposals will be significantly higher than the current ten-year estimates, since they will not be fully implemented until 2013 and beyond.
Americans deserve a responsible solution that reduces health care costs and improves affordable access to coverage for every family. But they also worry about rising deficits, a struggling economy, and preserving their current quality of care. In these tough economic times, we have to be realistic about doing too much too fast. There are several areas of consensus, listed below, that can form the basis of a financially responsible and targeted legislation that is a first major step in reforming one-sixth of our economy.
- Reform the health insurance market for EVERY American family. No American should be denied coverage or care simply because of a pre-existing condition. We should also work closely with states to improve and create mechanisms to protect high-cost patients.
- Make health care more affordable for all Americans. Promote delivery system reform to encourage better health outcomes and reward higher value care; empower patients by providing greater transparency on cost and choice; curb frivolous lawsuits so doctors can focus on sound medicine rather than unnecessary defensive medicine; encourage chronic care management to better control the health of the sickest and most costly patients; and promote prevention and wellness measures to keep Americans healthy.
- Give states flexibility to design their own unique approaches to reduce the uninsured. States like Massachusetts and Utah have both implemented major health reform efforts that look very different because the needs of the states are very different. We need to support this state flexibility instead of designing a one-size-fits-all solution that may not work for every state.
- Help American small businesses and self-employed entrepreneurs buy affordable health care coverage: As the lifeblood of our economic growth, we need to help small businesses and the self-employed buy affordable coverage by allowing them to band together and buy insurance just like large corporations.
As a legislator with a long history of bipartisan health care accomplishments with everyone from Congressman Waxman to my good friend Senator Kennedy, I have relied on one important principal – focus on areas of compromise not strife.
Over the month of August, American families across the nation have made it clear that at a time when government-run programs like Medicare and Medicaid are on a path to fiscal insolvency, the last thing we need is another big federal spending bill. By taking a targeted approach, we can avoid a bill that will raise taxes to be simply passed on to our families, create more joblessness, reduce choices, expand unsustainable entitlement programs that are driving our states bankrupt and start us down a path of a Washington-driven health care system.
At a time, when the Senate is being asked to raise our national debt ceiling beyond an astonishing $12 trillion, it is imperative that we consider a fiscally responsible and targeted approach. We have a real opportunity in front of us. If we are fiscally responsible and realistic in our policy approaches, we can get meaningful and bipartisan reform done this year, which we can all be proud of.
View related PDF: 09082009HatchLettertoObama.pdf (119.5 KBs)
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