WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas made the following comments today about the current health care reform debate.
Sen. Cornyn on what he has heard from constituents in Texas:
Saturday I was in Austin at a community health center along with Congressman Lloyd Doggett who had previously had an experience with some constituents who were upset about the direction of the health care debate in Washington DC.
And I must say rather than what Ive seen publicized in some corners that some people have said that one side or the other is represented to the exclusion of the other side I must say everybody who had an opinion seemed to be well represented at the event I attended in Austin. And well continue to have other ways to reach out to constituents and both inform them but also listen to them and their concerns.
Sen. Cornyn on problems associated with a Government Takeover of our health care system:
When it comes to things like the public plan or government option that if you believe as I do the Lewin Group and other health care experts would ultimately leave as many as 119 million Americans who currently have health coverage they like would ultimately leave them with no option but a government plan. Obviously other parts of this are extraordinarily controversial things like pay or play mandate for small businesses and other employers.
The other part of it is obviously access. And we know that we need to focus on the population that does not have good access to quality health care. By the way we might also take note that even under current government programs like Medicaid many low-income children dont have access even though they have coverage because of low compensation rates and other impediments they cant actually find a doctor who will see them for what the government is willing to pay.
So its not as if Medicare and Medicaid are perfect models for a new government health care plan. Neither one of them are fiscally sustainable and both of them have severe problems with waste fraud and abuse and pay at such low rates that many physicians simply opt out leaving patients with nowhere to turn.
Sen. Cornyn on the High Costs of Democratic Proposals To Date:
I think many of the proposals weve heard in Washington today miss the point that most people like what they have. The problem is that cost is an issue. And virtually none of these proposals so far I think really address that point.
One of the early indications from the CBO was that the HELP Committee plan and the plan out of the House could cost in excess of $1 trillion. The problem is these are incomplete estimates because as you know most of the proposals call for full implementation to begin in 2013 not coincidentally after the next presidential election.
If you look at a full 10 year budget window according to the figures that have been compiled by Senator Judd Greggs Budget Committee staff the full implementation of the House bill will cost $2.4 trillion over 10 years and the HELP bill the Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee bill will cost $2.2 trillion.
Sen. Cornyn on Health Care Reform from the Bottom Up Not the Top Down:
If the point is most people have what they like and cost is the predominant issue what can we do to bend the cost curve? What do we do to bring down the cost of health insurance? And I think on this point there is a lot of consensus. I think we all believe that insurance markets should be reformed to increase competition and ensure those with pre-existing conditions get access to care.
But the problem is most of what were hearing out of Washington is a one-size-fits-all overhaul and instead I think it would be more productive to talk about state-based solutions that reform health care from the bottom up not from the top down.
Sen. Cornyn on Importance of Medical Liability Reform:
One thing that is glaringly absent is serious talk about medical liability reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas made the following comments today about the current health care reform debate.
Sen. Cornyn on what he has heard from constituents in Texas:
Saturday I was in Austin at a community health center along with Congressman Lloyd Doggett who had previously had an experience with some constituents who were upset about the direction of the health care debate in Washington DC.
And I must say rather than what Ive seen publicized in some corners that some people have said that one side or the other is represented to the exclusion of the other side I must say everybody who had an opinion seemed to be well represented at the event I attended in Austin. And well continue to have other ways to reach out to constituents and both inform them but also listen to them and their concerns.
Sen. Cornyn on problems associated with a Government Takeover of our health care system:
When it comes to things like the public plan or government option that if you believe as I do the Lewin Group and other health care experts would ultimately leave as many as 119 million Americans who currently have health coverage they like would ultimately leave them with no option but a government plan. Obviously other parts of this are extraordinarily controversial things like pay or play mandate for small businesses and other employers.
The other part of it is obviously access. And we know that we need to focus on the population that does not have good access to quality health care. By the way we might also take note that even under current government programs like Medicaid many low-income children dont have access even though they have coverage because of low compensation rates and other impediments they cant actually find a doctor who will see them for what the government is willing to pay.
So its not as if Medicare and Medicaid are perfect models for a new government health care plan. Neither one of them are fiscally sustainable and both of them have severe problems with waste fraud and abuse and pay at such low rates that many physicians simply opt out leaving patients with nowhere to turn.
Sen. Cornyn on the High Costs of Democratic Proposals To Date:
I think many of the proposals weve heard in Washington today miss the point that most people like what they have. The problem is that cost is an issue. And virtually none of these proposals so far I think really address that point.
One of the early indications from the CBO was that the HELP Committee plan and the plan out of the House could cost in excess of $1 trillion. The problem is these are incomplete estimates because as you know most of the proposals call for full implementation to begin in 2013 not coincidentally after the next presidential election.
If you look at a full 10 year budget window according to the figures that have been compiled by Senator Judd Greggs Budget Committee staff the full implementation of the House bill will cost $2.4 trillion over 10 years and the HELP bill the Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee bill will cost $2.2 trillion.
Sen. Cornyn on Health Care Reform from the Bottom Up Not the Top Down:
If the point is most people have what they like and cost is the predominant issue what can we do to bend the cost curve? What do we do to bring down the cost of health insurance? And I think on this point there is a lot of consensus. I think we all believe that insurance markets should be reformed to increase competition and ensure those with pre-existing conditions get access to care.
But the problem is most of what were hearing out of Washington is a one-size-fits-all overhaul and instead I think it would be more productive to talk about state-based solutions that reform health care from the bottom up not from the top down.
Sen. Cornyn on Importance of Medical Liability Reform:
One thing that is glaringly absent is serious talk about medical liability reform
