[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12006]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE COSTS

  (Mr. PRICE of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, America's health care system is 
indeed in need of fixing on so many levels. You can lose count of the 
number of problems that it has. One of the major issues is cost.
  Recent studies show that the average American pays close to $4,000 a 
year on health care. However, that figure pales in comparison to the 
$11,000 that health care costs for America's seniors each.
  The last time this study was conducted in 1989, the average cost was 
only $2,200. Health care has become big business and big government, 
and patients are further removed from their doctors. Decisions that 
should be made between doctors and patients are now being decided many 
times by somebody else. Rising costs affect everyone: patients, 
doctors, and even small businesses that can no longer afford health 
insurance for their employees.
  Regardless of who pays, patients should have a choice when it comes 
to their health care, plain and simple. H. Res. 215 would do just that. 
As we move forward, we must be on the patients' side; they know what is 
best for themselves.

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