[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 112 (Thursday, July 23, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H8683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PHYSICIAN-OWNED AND SPECIALTY HOSPITALS WILL BE EMBRACED BY THE HEALTH 
                            CARE REFORM BILL

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I think the real truth is that 
Americans want real health care reform. They understand that families 
are paying $1,800 a year for the uninsured, $1,200 if you're a single 
individual, costs that will continue to grow without health care 
reform. Fourteen thousand Americans lose their health care every day. 
All of the issues that my friends on the other side talk about they 
know are workable issues.
  The bottom line is access to health care. In Texas, our effort and 
intent is to embrace and work with physician-owned and specialty 
hospitals. We want to make sure that they are protected in this health 
care reform. Why? Because they provide services to Americans and Texans 
that others cannot provide. We want to ensure that there is access to 
health care all over, but we also don't want to have smoke and mirrors. 
My friends on the other side should get at the table of negotiation, 
make sure our specialty and physician-owned hospitals are protected and 
allowed to grow if they are in the process of building, not use the 
arbitrary deadline; but, yes, we should face the question, save 
Americans $1,800 a year, $1,200 for an individual, stop the bleeding, 
stop the 14,000 that are losing their health care.

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