Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

Most everyone agrees our nation's health care system is broken. Hospitals struggle with low public and private insurance reimbursement rates to draw in revenue. Health care providers cost shift to those with private insurance. Doctors waste billions of dollars on unnecessary tests because they fear potential liability accusations and litigation threats. Small businesses are quickly getting priced out of the health care system - unable to offer their employees affordable insurance options.

When it comes to health care, I have one main goal: to help rural and frontier areas deliver accessible, affordable, and quality health care services. This is a unique challenge in Wyoming . There are some families that go without care due to long driving distances, provider shortages, or severe weather.

Yet, maintaining a strong rural health care network not only ensures Wyomingites can access the quality care they deserve, but also provides critical infrastructure to drive economic development and job creation. Communities offering viable, sustainable health care options attract and retain residents, workers, and businesses.

There is no question that this country needs to have a serious health care debate. We should talk about how we pay for health care services, how to encourage people to take personal responsibility for their own health, how to motivate folks to stay well, and most importantly, how health insurance is used in this Nation.

These are all very serious issues, and they all deserve a serious national discussion. That day will come. In the meantime, I look forward to listening to the ideas, concerns, and questions Wyomingites have about health care issues. Working together, I know we can come up with reasonable, commonsense solutions to strengthen our rural health care delivery networks.

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