Olver Rival Says Health Law Not Working

Press Release

Olver rival says health law not working

By Paula J. Owen CORRESPONDENT

War veteran and congressional candidate Nathan Bech met with Leominster residents outside UMass Memorial HealthAlliance — Leominster Campus yesterday to talk about his plans to lower health care costs and to increase its availability for everyone.

Mr. Bech, a Republican from West Springfield, is challenging U.S. Rep. John Olver, D-Amherst, in the November election for the 1st Congressional District seat.

Mr. Bech, 34, said bipartisan solutions are needed to solve skyrocketing health care costs in the state.

He said the new state law requiring all residents to buy health insurance or face legal penalties was not working. The law was devised by former Republican Gov. Mitt Romney working with the Democratic Legislature.

Mr. Bech said it was just too expensive for taxpayers and those having to buy health insurance.

"Everyone has to pay for this health care and it is too much money," Mr. Bech said. "People cannot afford it and are taking penalties instead."

He said changes he would make for "real health care reform" to get the cost down include not allowing the cost of malpractice lawsuits to be passed on to everyone and allowing the state to buy prescription drugs in bulk through the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

"That is pure capitalism," he said. "When you buy more, you pay less. We can pass those savings onto the taxpayers and the seniors and poor who need the prescriptions."

Additionally, he said, more transparency is needed for health care delivery.

He said people should be able to shop around for health care procedures the way they do when they are looking at buying a new television.

"If I need knee surgery or a medical procedure, I should be able to shop around and choose the best procedure for the best price," he said.
He also said preventive medicine should be emphasized.

"The sicker you get, the more money you get for treatment," he said.Moreover, Mr. Bech said, he will go after fraud, waste and abuse in the system, push for standardization and computerization of health care records, and ensure that veterans receive the medical care they deserve.

"Veterans receiving medical care have to drive to a clinic or veterans' hospital, yet people on state care get to go anywhere they want," he said. "We owe everything to our veterans and they should have the best facilities for medical care."

Mr. Bech, an Army veteran of the war in Iraq, said veterans should be able to take a voucher and get help anywhere they want that is most convenient for them.

Mr. Bech said rising gas prices, taxes and immigration policy are also at the top of his campaign issues.

He said he is excited about getting the economy going in the central and western part of the state and about shaking things up in Washington.

"If Obama can beat Hillary for the Democratic nomination, I can beat Olver," he said.

He was publicly endorsed by Paul Cellucci, the former governor and ambassador to Canada, at a fundraiser in Leominster last night.

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