Lance: Doctors Should Make Health Care Decisions For Their Patients

Press Release

At a Capitol Hill news conference on Tuesday, Rep. Leonard Lance (NJ-07) announced he was cosponsoring important health care reform legislation that would prevent the federal government from taking control over health care decisions doctors make for their patients.

Specifically, the Medical Rights Act, which is co-authored by Reps. Mark Kirk (IL) and Charlie Dent (PA), would guarantee that private health care cannot be denied by government restrictions. The legislation bans government interference into the doctor-patient relationship by protecting the rights of Americans to receive the care they need, when they need it.

"Congress must work in bipartisan fashion to expand health care access for Americans while reducing the high cost of medicines," said Lance. ‘At the same time, we must protect the rights of doctors to make decisions about the best care for their patients."

Lance believes healthcare reform should be a bipartisan effort that strengthens and retains the current employer-based insurance system; lowers costs through legal reform and electronic medical records; provides refundable tax credits for individuals and families to help them afford and buy insurance; and allows businesses and the uninsured to band together and buy insurance in multi-state pools.

In March President Obama outlined three principles for health care reform: lower costs, increased choice and expanded access. The Medical Rights Act strengthens these goals while adding safeguards to protect the doctor-patient relationship and improve American medicine.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi recently announced that Congress will consider a health care reform bill by July 31.

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