[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5398]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               MAKING QUALITY CARE ACCESSIBLE TO PATIENTS

  (Mr. BOUSTANY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, tonight President Obama is expected to 
unveil some of his health care reform, and I hope to work with the 
President to lower costs for American families and make health care 
more accessible without dramatically raising taxes.
  Some of my Democratic colleagues advocate for government-run 
universal health coverage, but coverage alone does not guarantee 
access. Too many rural communities currently lack doctors, and Medicare 
payment cuts and frivolous lawsuits have driven providers out of 
business in underserved communities.
  Health care reform should be based on three basic principles, 
information, choice and control. Information that provides real 
information to patients and doctors, choice that allows freedom of 
choice to choose a doctor and develop a doctor/patient relationship, 
and control, which creates real portability for families.
  Working together, I believe we can achieve real results and make 
health care much more affordable and accessible. We all agree that our 
system will make America more competitive and give families peace of 
mind. And that's why we need to work together to put the doctor and 
patient back in control.

                          ____________________