Talking about health care

Special to the Review

July 01, 2009 11:27 pm

— Congressman Jeb Hensarling met with East Texas physicians to take on a hot topic Tuesday.
Hensarling and local doctors met in a roundtable discussion at the East Texas Medical Center, Athens to discuss solutions to America’s health care crisis.
“Many of the answers to our most challenging health care problems can be found in hospitals and doctor’s offices in places like Athens rather than in Washington, D.C.,” Hensarling said. “I was encouraged by the feedback and solutions I heard from physicians today. ”
Hensarling said evidence out of the Harvard School of Public Health indicates that nine in 10 Americans believe their existing plan meets their projected health needs.
“While many East Texans need access to care, those who are happy with their current plan shouldn’t be forced to give it up,” he said.
Hensarling said health care is expensive because of waste, fraud and abuse associated with it.
“I’ve voted for reasonable medical liability reforms that the American Medical Association has noted could save between $70 billion and $126 billion in one year alone,” he said.
Hensarling said he questions the results of the plans put forward by Washington Democrats.
“I am cautious about the proposals I have seen because bureaucrats would stand between doctors and patients in the exam room,” he said.