Ayotte’s Take on Health Care Reform

In today’s Union Leader, Kelly Ayotte lays out what she thinks need to be a part of a health care bill in an Op Ed.  The entire column is worth the read,  but here are the main points that she makes.

Background on the current bills:

With health care costs growing at unsustainable rates, it is becoming increasingly difficult for small businesses to provide coverage for employees and more expensive for New Hampshire families to obtain affordable coverage. Congress needs to enact meaningful health care reforms that lower costs and improve quality.

Unfortunately, the $1.3 trillion, budget-busting bill passed by Rep. Paul Hodes and the House of Representative takes us in the wrong direction. Hodes’ plan raises taxes on small businesses and makes it more difficult for them to provide health care for their employees; it cuts Medicare for seniors; and it paves the way for government rationing of health care.

The Senate Democrats drafted their 2,733-page bill in secret, cutting back-room deals and holding their vote at 1 a.m., the weekend before Christmas. Why all the secrecy? They know the American people will be outraged by their plan, which raises taxes by $518 billion, cuts Medicare by $470 billion, and Congressional Budget estimates show will increase overall expenditures on health care by $200 billion over the next 10 years.

She also calls for Congress to “take a time out and start over” and calls on them to follow these basic principles going forward.

You should be allowed to keep your current plan if you choose; families and small businesses should be able to design a plan that meets their individual needs; Washington bureaucrats should not come between patients and their doctors; and it should not increase taxes or drive up our deficit.

She also lays out several ideas policy ideas, which she goes into detail and her rationalization for each item.  Here are the ideas that she is proposing:

• Enact tort reform to end frivolous lawsuits
• Look at wellness programs that promote healthy lifestyles and preventative care
• Utilization of electronic medical records to improve efficiency
• Allow small business to band together to  purchase health insurance
• Allow purchase of health insurance across state lines

As  I said in the beginning the entire column is worth the read.