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...Currently, healthcare spending accounts for 17 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), and it is estimated that these costs will rise to 25 percent by 2025. Clearly, Congress needs to find a way to contain healthcare costs. However, in doing so, we need to make sure we do not create more problems. The United States has one of the best, most advanced healthcare systems in the world in terms of both quality and access to care. We need to make sure that any reforms that are approved preserve both the quality of care and our access to it. <br> <br> I am very concerned about the healthcare proposals that have been approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. If these bills come before the Senate in their current form, I will oppose them and work for their defeat. These proposals are very complex and expensive, and I believe that we need to fully review all of the provisions and their consequences before rushing to approve a bill. The stimulus legislation, which spent close to a trillion dollars in borrowed money, was rushed through Congress with almost no oversight or debate. Healthcare reform is far too important to be rushed through in a similarly reckless manner.<br> <br> The cost of this legislation: ... Members of both parties agree that our country is running unsustainable deficits, and we need to begin paying down our debts. ... However, the bills currently being considered would cost over one trillion dollars .... Recently, the Director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) testified before Congress that the bills being considered could actually increase healthcare costs... a net increase in the federal budget deficit of $239 billion over the 2010-2019 period. The CBO also forecast that the proposals would lead to significant deficits outside of the 10-year budget window. Such a massive increase in federal debt would harm our country .... <br> <br> Ultimately, I will not support legislation that fails to protect the Medicare program or places a government bureaucrat between a patient and their doctor when making medical decisions. We have one of the best healthcare systems in the world, and we do not need to destroy it to contain costs. Currently, the Medicare and Medicaid programs are losing $60 billion per year to fraud. We can fix this.... Similarly, we can restrain ... costs by allowing interstate competition in the health insurance market, enacting meaningful tort reform, providing tax parity for individuals who purchase their own health insurance, and allowing small businesses to pool their employees to purchase more affordable health insurance. These are just a few examples of good and constructive options for healthcare reform .... Unfortunately, the bills currently being considered do not include these proposals.<br> ...<br> Sincerely,<br> Mel Martinez<br> United States Senator
By Anne

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