Congressman Pete King

Health Care Reform

Americans have the leading doctors, the most advanced medical technology and the best hospitals in the world. It is not uncommon for major government officials from other countries to come to the United States for their medical procedures.

It is important, however, that we reform and improve our health care system so that affordable health care is made available to more Americans. We should do this by working within and adding to what we now have.

Last year, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 45.7 million Americans had no private health insurance coverage. (This includes approximately 10-12 million illegal immigrants, 9.1 million people who are only temporarily uninsured and another 12.1 million who are eligible for existing public programs.) Without access to primary care, those who are uninsured or under-insured lack the preventive treatment necessary to avoid costly emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Allowing present conditions to continue will only cost all taxpayers more money in coming years. It is essential that we do what we can to make private insurance plans more affordable so that more Americans have access to preventive care, live healthier lives and stay out of hospitals. At the same time, however, we must remember that the 10-12 million of the uninsured illegal immigrants should not be receiving the same benefits as American citizens and people living lawfully in this country.

The employer-based system of private health insurance works for businesses large enough to be financially capable of providing insurance benefits to their employees. We should work to make it easier for small businesses to provide these same benefits and no healthcare reform package should jeopardize the private coverage that any American already has.

I will oppose any effort by the Administration which would ration care, lead to a government takeover of healthcare, allow government bureaucrats to stand between patients and their health plans or force people such as union members from their current plans.