Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

Health Care

"My goal is to make quality, affordable healthcare available to every American.

Making quality healthcare affordable to every American is no simple task. I do not believe we need to risk the stability and quality of our health care system by implementing a potentially overreaching government-based program. However, there are some smaller steps we can take, including: the provision of tax credits for employers, double-tax credits for families who do not have access to employer-based insurance (and have to purchase private insurance), and the creation of insurance pools so that individuals can take advantage of reduced rates.

I support the continuation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program(S-CHIP) to the extent that it is available to the children of families who cannot afford health insurance. I will work tirelessly for our rural hospitals to ensure that the federal government fully reimburses Medicare and Medicaid costs. It is imperative that we protect Medicare for our seniors and expand it to fit today's needs.

The federal government should be required to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to provide prescription drugs for Medicare recipients. In Montgomery, we have introduced a first-of-its-kind program—that has received national attention—to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for our city employees and retirees. Now, in Montgomery, employees and retirees may participate in an international prescription drug purchasing program and receive drugs at no cost. This program not only saves the high cost of prescription drugs for the employee, but it has also saved the city of Montgomery between $300,000 and $500,000 each year.

We must look for innovative ways to reduce the cost of quality healthcare. While there are no simple solutions to the healthcare problem, we should begin by working in a bipartisan manner to find solutions."

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