Rep Sue Myrick from North Carolina on HR 3713

The one requirement missing from this preliminary outline of a Republican Healthcare Bill is that old people die quickly. I haven't read the whole thing yet, so they may have actually stuck it somewhere down deep in the recesses of the language. You know how coniving and cunning those wascaly wapublicans are.

For the past few months, the question across the country has been on health care reform: What will Congress and the Administration do, and how will this affect the American people?

While the Majority part in Congress continues to advocate for a government-run plan, I have signed onto an alternative health care plan that will reduce costs and allow more Americans buy quality health care coverage.

This plan, the American Health Care Solutions (HR 3713), drafted by Rep. Mike Rogers (MI-08), will:
• Prevent insurance companies from denying care based on pre-existing conditions or becoming sick
• Expand federal block grants for state high-risk pools that accept all patients
• Create association and small business health plans
• Allow families to purchase insurance across state lines
• Enact comprehensive medical liability reform
• Expand and improve health savings accounts
• Allow employers to offer discounts for healthy behavior through wellness and prevention programs
• Strengthen penalties for Medicare and Medicaid fraud, and expand funding for federal anti-fraud monitoring
• Establish “transparency portals” in each state to provide families more information about health plans and providers.

These are things we can agree on and that will truly make a difference within our health care system. They are common sense reforms changes that will allow you and your doctors - not a beaucrat in Washington - to make the decisions about your health care.

I'm also calling on Speaker Pelosi to bring this alternative plan to the House floor, and consider it alongside H.R. 3200-- the bill drafted by the Majority party and the Obama Administration. A government-run plan isn’t the only way to change the health system. Let’s have an open debate about health care solutions and let the American people compare these two bills. This is your health care coverage. You have a right to know the alternatives and make the call.

While this debate has been ongoing in the halls of Congress and townhall meeting across the country, I've been so encouraged by the voice of the American people. No matter what side of this debate you're on, I hope that you will continue to contact me and our Senators from NC and let us know how you feel. Also, please contact your
family and friends around the country and urge them to contact their representatives and Senators. This is a country of the people, by the people, for the people, and your voice is a powerful thing.