Last week I traveled all across the First District meeting with groups of all sizes on different issues important to them. In particular, I visited several different health care facilities that offer so much to our community.
I visited Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center to tour their facility and receive a brief on the services they offer to patients. I specifically learned about a new program they have that utilizes telemedicine to help patients in rural areas. I then attended the grand opening of First Care Women’s Health (FCWH) in Woodbridge. This facility provides free medical resources to women facing unplanned pregnancies.
At both of these facilities, I had the opportunity to meet with administrators and employees to learn what we can do on a federal level to assist our health care providers.
After these meetings, I am even more confident that socialized medicine is not the answer to our nation’s health care system. Medicare for all, a single-payer health care plan run by the federal government would cost $32 trillion to operate. This is a fiscally irresponsible policy that will radically alter how hundreds of millions of people get their health care – outlawing the choice of private insurance, eliminating the programs that seniors and people with disabilities rely on for care, and putting the government between you and your doctor. This would also require a massive new tax increase and would force 158 million Americans who get their health insurance through their employer into a one-size-fits-all government-run plan. UnitedHealth Group, the biggest health insurer in the United States, said such proposals would "surely have a severe impact on the economy and jobs - all without fundamentally increasing access to care."
Instead, we need a patient-centered system that favors quality, choice, and empowers individuals and families to make decisions for themselves based on what best fits their needs, wants, and budget. I also believe it is important to protect access to care for those with pre-existing conditions and allow young people to stay on their parents’ plans. We must provide a solution to Americans that increases access while lowering the cost of care.
I want to be abundantly clear, I believe in a better health care future for Virginians. This will only happen when individuals can do what’s best for them, not what the government dictates for them. I will continue fighting for patient-provider centered reforms that expand choices for consumers, increase access to care, reduce health care costs, and enhance transparency in our healthcare system.
These past two district work weeks have been very productive, and I have met with dozens of constituents to hear their thoughts and ideas on what needs to be done in Washington. I look forward to bringing those ideas back to my colleagues when we are back in session on Monday.
