While I opposed the partisan health care reform bills passed by Congress and signed into law in March of 2010, I share a common belief that reform is necessary. Like a growing number of individuals, I believe the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not the solution to our health care problems.

On January 19, 2011, the House of Representatives took the first step to repealing this massive expansion of government intervention in our health care system. The House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act by a vote of 245-189. I am a cosponsor of legislation in the Senate that would also seek to repeal the Affordable Care Act. While the Senate failed to pass an amendment that would have repealed this controversial health care bill, I will continue to work with my colleagues to improve this overreaching law.

On November 14, 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court announced their intention to evaluate whether Congress overstepped its authority to require all Americans purchase health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The Supreme Court will hear the case brought by 26 states, including South Dakota, to argue that the law’s individual mandate constitutes a federal overreach. It is expected that the court will reach a ruling by July 2012. I am hopeful that the United States Supreme Court will strike down this legislation and Congress will do what we should have done all along – work together on bipartisan reforms that reduce costs and improve care. While I believe repeal is the first step toward advancing common sense solutions in our health care system, I also understand that returning to the status quo is not acceptable, and believe we still need to address the systemic issues that plague our health care system. Below is a list of alternative proposals for health care reform that I support.

Pre-existing Conditions

I support finding affordable options for the uninsured or those who have been priced out of the insurance market. I support expanding and reforming high-risk pools and reinsurance programs to help all Americans, regardless of pre-existing conditions or past illnesses, have access to affordable care.

Small Business Health Plans

I hear from many small business owners in South Dakota who want to provide quality health care coverage for their employees, but often cannot afford the high cost of premiums. South Dakota has nearly 73,000 small businesses and a large portion of our state's uninsured population work for small businesses. I support creating Small Business Health Plans (SBHPs), which allow individuals and small businesses to band together to purchase more affordable health insurance for their employees. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, SBHPs would expand health care coverage to approximately 750,000 employees of small businesses nationwide who are currently uninsured.

Reform Medical Liability Laws

I support reforming medical liability laws that protect doctors from frivolous lawsuits so they can stop practicing defensive medicine in order to avoid lawsuits and focus on what is best for patients. I support comprehensive medical liability reform that will lower the cost of health care for all South Dakota families.

Reform Health Insurance Regulations

I am in favor of reforming health insurance regulations and allowing individuals and companies to purchase insurance across state lines. This would provide consumers in South Dakota with a greater number of options in insurance plans and would increase competition in the insurance industry. Additionally, I support providing state incentives to pursue state-based reforms to their
insurance markets.

Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Current Health Care Programs

I believe it is imperative that we address the waste, fraud, and abuse that currently plague the Medicare and Medicaid system. I support combating fraud in our health programs and ensuring their sustainability before expanding them, or creating a new government-run program that will simply add to the problem. Medicare alone has over $60 billion in losses sustained by taxpayers each year due to fraud.

Enhance Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)

I support creating incentives that will support people saving for current and future health care needs by allowing participants to use HSA funds to pay premiums for high deductable health insurance. HSAs are proven to encourage more cost-conscious spending.

Tele-health

As a member of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, I support initiatives that will strengthen our rural health care infrastructure. Tele-health is innovative technology that can provide real-time information to a health provider from a patient hundreds of miles away by using video-conferencing and other technologies. This technology could help home health agencies provide home-monitoring equipment to patients in order to improve care and allow seniors more flexibility to remain at home rather than other more expensive options. I have introduced S. 501, the Fostering Independence Through Technology Act. If enacted, this legislation would expand the use of tele-heath in states like South Dakota.

Focus on Wellness and Prevention

I believe we must change our focus to wellness and prevention. Helping people lead healthier lives is a critical part of controlling the cost of health care for everyone, not just the unhealthy. I support reforms that will make it easier for employers, insurers, and patients to take action to control the chronic disease and obesity epidemic in our country through incentives that encourage healthier behavior and participation in wellness programs.