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Solving The Crisis In American Medicine

Floor Speech

Date: June 11, 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Forty-nine years ago, the 1960 October Harpers Magazine cover story was ``The Crisis in American Medicine.'' Well, we are still in crisis, but change is in the air.

The facts are clear: High costs, more procedures, tests, and hospitalization is not better care; it is a symptom of poor care. Every major Nation spends less, and most have better outcomes than the United States.

Getting 50 million Americans health insurance and giving the rest of Americans with insurance, stability, will cost more, but about half of this cost can be achieved by reforming the system, and having the government pay the balance will cost far less for business and people with insurance over the next 10 years than business as usual.

With a President who gets it, a Congress listening to what the people want and a public plan to keep the system honest, it means that there won't be a cover story 50 years from now about American medicine still in crisis.


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