Let Texans Take Care of Texans
(Ed. note: This column by Rep. John Zerwas ran in last week's issue of Texas Weekly, which asked four policy and legislative experts the same question: What version of health care reform would be best for Texas?)
Like many across this great state and the nation, I have taken an intense interest in the so-called health system reforms coming from Washington, D.C. Perhaps unique to my perspective is the various roles I have played as a consumer, a doctor, a state policy maker and a member of the Appropriations Committee of the Texas House.
As a consumer of ...
Comments (2)
Ken Collier
It's clear that the Texas Legislature had the opportunity to act and did nothing on this issue. You can't blame Texans looking elsewhere for action when more and more Texas families see health care slipping beyond their reach.
I can't tell you how frustrated I am with policy makers inaction as I watch a friend work frantically trying to build up enough money so that he can get afford for his wife if she falls ill again. Years of a family's hard work and savings could be wiped out (again) in only a couple of days back in the hospital.
I understand Zerwas' concerns about doctors and insurers. However, we need to make the patients the health care system a higher priority. Our health care system has evolved into something that lacks both compassion and economic rationality. Republicans had plenty of time to implement their reforms. Many of us are ready to give someone else a chance.
zusana
"As a consumer of health care services I, like millions of Americans, am satisfied with the benefits of my health care insurance. It provides me assurance that in the event of illness or accident, I will have ready access to the highest quality of care found anywhere in the world."
If you have individual insurance like my family does... it doesn't provide you with anything of the sort. And even the best of insurance plans could probably think up some reason to deny the claims of it's customers.
I would love to see Medicare opened up for anyone interested in signing up. But even that wouldn't be the government taking over all of health care. Especially with the way Republicans seem to love to waste money outsourcing things that don't need to be outsourced to for profit firms.
I keep hearing about tort reform, too. Since Texas enacted tort reform, I believe my health care costs have nearly tripled. But I was already receiving the same good care before that. Wasn't it supposed to help with costs? Seems to me it just helps deny legitimate claims since the illegitimate ones seldom made it through, percentage wise, anyway.