Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

As a physician who has cared for Louisiana's uninsured at Earl K. Long Hospital for over 20 years, Bill Cassidy is passionate about making health care more affordable and accessible. In addition to his work at Earl K. Long, he co-founded the Greater Baton Rouge Community Clinic, a clinic providing free health care to the working uninsured. Cassidy has also pioneered school-based public health programs to vaccinate children against Hepatitis B. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, he led a group of health care volunteers to convert an abandoned K-Mart building into an emergency health care facility, providing basic health care to hurricane evacuees.

Bill Cassidy opposed the Democrats' government-takeover of health care because it would cut hundreds of billions from Medicare, raise taxes, and fail to lower health costs. Instead, he supports the Empowering Patients First Act, which would lower costs by giving patients direct control over health care dollars and decisions.

Because of his strong opposition to the government takeover of health care and advocacy for solutions that lower costs by empowering patients, The Hill newspaper said Bill Cassidy "emerged as a leading voice for House Republicans during the health care debate."

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