Not linked on Ron Paul’s Congressional Website.
HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, March 12, 2009
2009 Ron Paul 28:1
Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, America faces
a crisis in health care. Health care costs continue
to rise while physicians and patients
struggle under the control of managed-care
“gatekeepers.” Obviously, fundamental health
care reform should be one of Congress’ top
priorities.
2009 Ron Paul 28:2
Unfortunately, most health care “reform”
proposals either make marginal changes or
exacerbate the problem. This is because they
fail to address the root of the problem with
health care, which is that government polices
encourage excessive reliance on third-party
payers. The excessive reliance on third-party
payers removes all incentive from individual
patients to concern themselves with health
care costs. Laws and policies promoting
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) resulted
from a desperate attempt to control spiraling
costs. However, instead of promoting an
efficient health care system, HMOs further
took control over health care away from the individual
patient and physician.
2009 Ron Paul 28:3
Returning control over health care to the individual
is the key to true health care reform.
The Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act
puts control of health care back into the hands
of the individual through tax credits, tax deductions,
improving Health Savings Accounts,
and Flexible Savings Accounts. Specifically,
the Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act:
2009 Ron Paul 28:4
A. Provides all Americans with a tax credit
for 100 percent of health care expenses. The
tax credit is fully refundable against both income
and payroll taxes;
2009 Ron Paul 28:5
B. Allows individuals to roll over unused
amounts in cafeteria plans and Flexible Savings
Accounts (FSA);
2009 Ron Paul 28:6
C. Provides a tax credit for premiums for a
high-deductible insurance policy connected
with a Health Savings Account (HSA) and allows
seniors to use funds in an HSA to pay for
a medigap policy;
2009 Ron Paul 28:7
D. Repeals the 7.5 percent threshold for the
deduction of medical expenses, thus making
all medical expenses tax deductible.
2009 Ron Paul 28:8
By providing a wide range of options, this
bill allows individual Americans to choose the
method of financing health care that best suits
their individual needs. Increasing frustration
with the current health care system is leading
more and more Americans to embrace this approach
to health care reform. I hope all my
colleagues will join this effort to put individuals
back in control of health care by cosponsoring
the Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act.
