President Obama, Washington Democrats Stand in the Way of Patient-Centered Reform

By Congressman Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA)

The Supreme Court has ruled that President Obama’s health care law is constitutional. The Court did find that holding ransom a state’s entire Medicaid funding in order to coerce states to expand Medicaid coverage to millions of more Americans is unacceptable. Nevertheless, in the eyes of the court, the overwhelming majority of the law can stand and stay on the books. But that does not mean it should.

Out of touch Democrats believe the Court’s ruling means the law requires no further debate. That line of thinking assumes the Court meant to endorse a government-driven health care system. Nothing can be further from the truth. In fact, Chief Justice John Roberts states in the conclusion to his majority opinion that “the Court does not express any opinion on the wisdom of the Affordable Care Act. Under the Constitution, that judgment is reserved to the people.”

So, the fight for patient-centered health care continues. Constitutional or otherwise, bad policy remains bad policy and the law is a threat to accessible, affordable health care for all Americans.

Democrats defend their health care legislation by highlighting deficiencies in America’s health care system. The status quo of our nation’s health care system is indeed broken. But there are positive solutions that can address the insurance challenges of portability and pre-existing conditions, rising health care costs, and rampant waste in health care spending without ceding power to Washington.

In the days ahead, Republicans will provide that contrast by voting to repeal the president’s entire health care law. As we have done throughout the debate over health care reform, we will continue to present reforms that speak to the needs of our health care system without undermining quality or accessibility of care.

There is no reason that we cannot help individuals have the financial wherewithal to purchase and own their health insurance with tax credits and deductions that reflect their economic situation. Additionally, to expand opportunities for more Americans – including those with pre-existing conditions – the purchasing power of large group insurance policies ought to be adopted by allowing millions of individual Americans or individual small businesses to group together in robust pooling mechanisms. That ensures that the cost of any one individual’s health insurance needs does not adversely affect the cost of insurance for others. Medical malpractice reforms that protect patients’ rights can ensure we stop wasting billions on defensive medicine.

For their part, President Obama and Democrats in Congress remain committed to a law that imposes over $500 billion in new taxes, slices an additional $500 billion out of seniors’ Medicare, and lets government bureaucrats and mandates dictate personal health care decisions.

The Supreme Court has determined that the ultimate ruling on the future of the president’s health care law will be decided not in a court of law but in the court of public opinion through the power vested in each citizen’s vote. President Obama and a Democrat-led Senate are the largest impediments to a health care system that responds to the needs of patients, encourages innovation, reduces costs, and protects the sacred doctor-patient relationship. That means we must not only maintain a Republican majority in the House of Representatives but also secure a Republican majority in the Senate and send Governor Mitt Romney to the White House.