article_snippet: Any legitimate health reform plan must be focused on three goals: 1) help consumers find affordable private insurance suited to consumers personal needs; 2) liberate the poor from Medicaid so consumers have actual access to medical care, as well as the dignity of personal choice of doctor; and 3) add substantive mechanisms that reduce health care costs by competition and value-seeking by consumers.
article_snippet: The Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility, and Empowerment (PatientCARE) Act put forth this month by leading Republicans in Congress tries to do just that.
article_snippet: This bill, also known as Coburn-Burr-Hatch, represents a serious plan to expand access to health care and reduce the nation's health care expenses.
article_snippet: The Coburn-Burr-Hatch proposal incentivizes people to buy insurance people value, and The Coburn-Burr-Hatch proposal generates affordable options, instead of forcing the purchase of expensive insurance that individuals don't want.
article_snippet: Health savings plans are liberalized to allow everyone, not just the affluent, control over Health savings plans health care dollar.
article_snippet: Medicaid reforms provide options for individuals to buy private coverage, and the government provides significant financial support for lower income Americans.
article_snippet: Responsible leadership must focus on empowering patients instead of the government, before private health insurance and with that access to the excellence of America's medical system are eliminated for all but the affluent.
article_snippet: Empowering individuals -- regardless of socioeconomic status -- with choices and information in order to facilitate access to care from the best doctors and hospitals in the world should be the thrust of any change to American health care.