Reform Health Care Right Way

Floor Speech

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Mr. FLEMING. Madam Speaker, from today, the ABC network will be known as the ``All Barack Channel'' due to unprecedented propaganda for the President's health plan.

Democrats and Republicans agree that our health care system needs reforming, and we essentially agree on how, with one very important exception: a government-run plan is not the solution.

Our current Medicare system is a microcosm of what the proposed public plan would look like. Medicare is propped up by the privately insured as it is, and is still on a course for bankruptcy within 10 years.

Our President says he can make a government-run system lower cost. Then why hasn't anybody been able to do that with Medicare in 50 years? Creating a public option like Medicare will progressively increase private insurance costs due to cost shifting and eventually drive private insurers out of business. Besides the damage it would do to the private sector, the government does not have the money to pay the $1.6 trillion price tag.

As a physician, I say we need to reform, bring down costs, and increase access to private insurance. We do not need the government in the exam room.

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