Issues
Health Care
“As we move forward, we have to be dedicated to expanding the availability of affordable health insurance to Kansans.”
It is essential that we take action to increase access to quality, affordable health care for Kansans. The federal government, state governments, and individuals must all work together to address the health care crisis in America. We have a responsibility.
Universal Coverage
I’m concerned about the number of Americans who lack health insurance and simply cannot afford to get sick. With more than 300,000 Kansans, including over 50,000 children, lacking adequate health insurance, we must move towards the goal of universal coverage.
Children
It’s unacceptable that you can be rich and 65 in our country and the government will pay for your health care but if you are poor and 16 you are often uninsured. Providing quality health care for our children is one of the most important things we can do to ensure they grow up to become healthy, successful adults. Therefore, expanding eligibility for the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) is a priority of mine.
Small Businesses
The rapidly rising costs of providing health insurance to employees have placed an undo burden on small businesses. These businesses should be granted additional tax credits as an incentive to provide health insurance for their employees and to help offset the cost.
Rural Health Care
Access to health care is a challenge for many Kansans in rural areas. I will work to attract medical professionals to rural areas and ensure the Medicare Reimbursement formula is fair. Another way to improve access to health care is to implement new technologies like tele-medicine.
Retirees
Health insurance is a major obstacle to early retirement for many people. A system should be created to allow individuals who do not yet qualify for Medicare to buy into the system allowing them to retire early and maintain health insurance.
Prescription Drugs
Federal law currently prohibits the federal government from negotiating with pharmaceutical companies for lower prescription drug costs under the Medicare Part D program. Medicare should be allowed to use its bulk purchasing power to negotiate for lower prices, saving seniors billions of dollars.
Cost Containment
Health care costs are skyrocketing and we must find ways to lower the cost for consumers. In addition to preventative care, incentives should be offered to assist people in making healthy lifestyle choices because one ounce of prevention is worth one pound of treatment- in other words, it keeps costs down.
Modernization
Paper medical records make it hard to coordinate care and contribute to medial errors. A transition to electronic health records will ensure greater quality of care and help eliminate paperwork and keep costs down.