Senate Proceeding on Jul 10th, 2009 :: 2:54:05 to 3:02:19
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2:54:05 to 3:02:19( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Ron Wyden

2:54:09 to 2:54:29( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: quorum mr. wyden: mr. presi ask unanimous consent to vacate the quorum and speak in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. wyden: as congress focuses on health care reform i want to take a few minutes to discuss one approach that has been documented by the budget office

2:54:30 to 2:54:51( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: as producing significant cost savings in american health care. that approach is increasing choices care and r rewarding americans who choose their health care widely. today, 85% of american

2:54:52 to 2:55:12( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: businesses that offer health care coverage, off now, mr. president, that is not because they wouldn't like quite the contrary. they would very much like to offer additional private-sector choices but, for example, if you are a small business person --

2:55:13 to 2:55:33( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: and i know the distinguished senator from alaska identifies with this -- you go out into the broken private insurance market with huge very often so you can't offer choices.

2:55:34 to 2:55:54( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: without choices -- and this is what i really wanted to discuss this morning, mr. president -- there can't be real competion and accountability in health care. and as a result, costs go up and care for our works

2:55:55 to 2:56:15( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: employers, small businesses a others, becomes less affordable. now, some in america enjoy a better system, one where they have a full array of private-sector health care choices.

2:56:16 to 2:56:38( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: d everyone here in this about because it is the system that we congress. we get a menu -- a menu of private-sector health offerings, the private plans that are offe

2:56:39 to 2:56:59( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: can't discriminate, for example, against someone with a preexisting illness. you go into a large group where you have a lot of bargaing power which means you can hold down costs and you discrimination on the basis of able. and that's particularly important, mr. president,

2:57:00 to 2:57:21( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: because it looks like under some of the approaches that are being discussed in the congress there would be significant discrimination. against, for example, the older worker. i believe, mr. president, that

2:57:22 to 2:57:42( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: all machines sho americans should have the opportunity to be part of a health care system where they have more private-sector choices and they are in a position to benefit from the wise election of those kinds of choices. i think that will lead to reduced costs and i will lead to more affordable

2:57:43 to 2:58:03( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: health care coverage. i am conce legislation that is being developed in not allow most people to have the free choice of these private health care services. in fact, it wouldn't allow them

2:58:04 to 2:58:25( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: to have free choice of health care services generally whether they're in a private plan or a public plan or, you name it. so i ver ahead, democrats and republicans alike, will come to see what the

2:58:26 to 2:58:48( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: budget office has documented. and that is free choice of an increased menu of health care where the insurance companies can't cherrypick, where they can't discriminate against someone with a preexisting illness, where people would go into a large group where you don't have older workers being discrimated against.

2:58:49 to 2:59:11( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: i would hope that democrats and republicans would see t of approach with expanded private-sector choices, would help hold and make health care more affordable for our the reason i have focused on

2:59:12 to 2:59:32( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: this question of holding down costs, making coverage more affordable by expanding choices -- would call it -- is in light of the discussion tha we have held this week in the senate. and i note my friend from utah, senator hatch, is

2:59:33 to 2:59:54( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: who has, in my view, done so much good work on health care for children, for community health centers, for a variety of needs in o country. he and i participated in discussions particularly in the senate finance committee about how to come up with additional

2:59:55 to 3:00:18( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: money to exp particularly for the more than 45 million americans who don't have coverage. the finance committee is going to continue to grapple with it. and i only wanted to talk about cost savings through private-sector choice today

3:00:19 to 3:00:42( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: because i believe most americans look at first. most americans feel very strongly ty want to get all our people covered. they know in a country as rich and as strong and as go as ours that close to 50 million people don't

3:00:43 to 3:01:03( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: have but there also very concerned about already spending $2.5 trillion annually on health care, before you go out and spend $1 trillion

3:01:04 to 3:01:24( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: or more to pay for expanding coverage, you better have a plan to through the kinds of approaches that i've been talking about -- in order to be credible. it's not credible

3:01:25 to 3:01:46( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: american people and say we need $1 trillion or more to expand coverage, expand coverage and pay this huge sum, on top of the $2.5 trillion being unless you have an actual plan

3:01:47 to 3:02:07( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: to hold down costs and generate savings. that's why i hope the democrats and republicans will look ahow the congressional budget office has documented that through choice you can generate significant cost savings and make health care more

3:02:08 to 3:02:19( Edit History Discussion )

Ron Wyden: affordable. and am concerned that the point i made this morning has gotten a bit lost, as the focus