[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 41 (Thursday, March 17, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      AMERICAN HEALTH SECURITY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2011

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I believe that there should be a family 
doctor for every American family. That shouldn't be hard in the richest 
country in the world, but it's not a reality for too many Americans. 
There is nothing worse than having to worry about how you are going to 
pay for something that you absolutely need like health care.
  That is why for the past century, leaders from Teddy Roosevelt, 
Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton to President Obama have 
tried to advance varying forms of comprehensive health care reform. At 
every opportunity conservatives have warned that ensuring comprehensive 
care would be the end of freedom and usher in a new era of socialism. 
Despite this alarmism, Medicare passed in 1965 and thank God for that. 
Seniors and others such as people suffering from diseases like End 
Stage Renal Disease have a low cost way of accessing high quality of 
care.
  With the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) last year, the 
promise of more access and fairer rules are being realized for all 
Americans. We have more to do, though. There has been a lot of 
attention made towards the supposed lack of flexibility in the ACA. 
States argue, correctly in my view, that they are in the best position 
to evaluate and address the specific needs of their communities. The 
ACA gives states a great deal of flexibility, but some states believe 
they can build on it to do even more to expand access, lower costs and 
raise the quality of health care. For example, in Vermont, there is a 
grassroots movement that has swept into the State House to move the 
State of Vermont towards a single payer system.
  The people in Vermont are fed up with insurance companies and want 
more progress. They think it's ridiculous and shameful for insurance 
companies to post their highest profit margins ever this year while 
also charging higher premiums to consumers.
  The American Health Security Act I am introducing today would give 
states the ability to increase quality and get control of costs by 
taking out the profiteering middle-man--insurance companies--and 
letting doctors focus on what they do best: treat patients. I believe 
this bill builds on the ACA by offering states an excellent option in 
moving our country towards a health care system that finally puts the 
patient first.

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