[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 44 (Thursday, March 12, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E653-E654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE REFORM ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 12, 2009

  Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, America faces a crisis in health care. 
Health care costs continue to rise while physicians and patients 
struggle under the control of managed-care ``gatekeepers.'' Obviously, 
fundamental health care reform should be one of Congress' top 
priorities.
  Unfortunately, most health care ``reform'' proposals either make 
marginal changes or exacerbate the problem. This is because they fail 
to address the root of the problem with health care, which is that 
government polices encourage excessive reliance on third-party payers. 
The excessive reliance on third-party payers removes all incentive from 
individual patients to concern themselves with health care costs. Laws 
and policies promoting Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) resulted 
from a desperate attempt to control spiraling costs. However, instead 
of promoting an efficient health care system, HMOs further took control 
over health care away from the individual patient and physician.
  Returning control over health care to the individual is the key to 
true health care reform. The Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act puts 
control of health care back into the hands of the individual through 
tax credits, tax deductions, improving Health Savings Accounts, and 
Flexible Savings Accounts. Specifically, the Comprehensive Health Care 
Reform Act:
  A. Provides all Americans with a tax credit for 100 percent of health 
care expenses. The tax credit is fully refundable against both income 
and payroll taxes;
  B. Allows individuals to roll over unused amounts in cafeteria plans 
and Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA);
  C. Provides a tax credit for premiums for a high-deductible insurance 
policy connected with a Health Savings Account (HSA) and allows seniors 
to use funds in an HSA to pay for a medigap policy;
  D. Repeals the 7.5 percent threshold for the deduction of medical 
expenses, thus making all medical expenses tax deductible.
  By providing a wide range of options, this bill allows individual 
Americans to choose the method of financing health care that best suits 
their individual needs. Increasing frustration with the current health 
care system is leading more and more Americans to embrace this approach 
to health care reform. I hope all my colleagues will join this effort 
to put individuals back in control of health care by cosponsoring the 
Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act.

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