Public HealthSen. Cornyn Completes Six-City Health Care Outreach Tour Meeting With Experts, Business Leaders & Residents Across Texas
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today wrapped up his health care outreach tour where he visited Austin, College Station, Tyler, Odessa, Temple and Houston to discuss different aspects of the health care debate and learn about common-sense practices that are working on the local level as well as fresh ideas for him to take with him to Washington, D.C.
"Throughout this multi-city tour, I met with Texans from all walks of life to hear about their health care challenges, best practices, and ideas for health care solutions. Washington thinks it"s got all the ideas on how to fix our health care system, but I wanted to hear from Texans on their ideas. From Tyler to Odessa, the men and women I met with provided great insight for me to take back to Washington as health care reform will undoubtedly take center-state in Congress in the coming months. Washington elites want to rush a health care reform bill through Congress, but I believe we must take the time to listen to the American people to make sure we get this right.
"Reducing costs should be our top health care priority, and I heard firsthand about innovative cost-saving solutions that have been implemented across Texas with enormous success. We need to build on the successful practices already in place in Texas as we seek to improve our nation"s health care system. I look forward to sharing what I learned here today with my colleagues in Congress as we tackle health care reform."
In Austin, Sen. Cornyn hosted a roundtable discussion with Whole Foods executives and employees who explained the benefits of their unique consumer-driven health insurance plan, which has lowered health care costs and opened the doors to quality coverage and more options for Whole Foods employees. Employees shared with Sen. Cornyn how the innovative plan has improved their access to health care, saved them money and encouraged them to lead healthier lifestyles.
In College Station, he hosted a discussion on Medicare"s role for future generations at Texas A&M University with Dr. Thomas Saving, Director of the Private Enterprise Research Center at Texas A&M University and former Trustee of the National Medicare Trust Fund, as well as Dennis G. Smith, a Senior Fellow in Healthcare Reform at the Heritage Foundation"s Center for Health Policy Studies. The experts discussed the current state of Medicare and the need for immediate reforms to improve the program and safeguard it for future generations of retirees who are already investing in Medicare.
In Tyler, he visited with doctors, nurses and other health care professionals who volunteer their time at Bethesda Health Clinic to provide low-cost health care to the working uninsured. Through these efforts, Bethesda Health Clinic enables area families who would otherwise go to emergency rooms for non-emergency services to access quality care at low costs, learn about the steps they can take to lead healthier lives and prevent illness, and establish lasting relationships with their physicians.
In Odessa, he met with members of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce and Permian Basin Petroleum Association to learn about their successful partnership in offering the small businesses they represent access to group health insurance coverage.
In Temple, he visited the Scott & White Memorial Hospital to learn about the cutting-edge technology and innovative care they provide that has led them to be consistently ranked as one of the nation"s top hospital systems and to discuss evidence-based solutions for our health care system.
In Houston, he participated in a roundtable discussion with Houston corporation leaders about innovative health insurance coverage options being offered in the private sector. Joining Sen. Cornyn were executives and administrators from Fortune 500 and 1000 companies, members of the Greater Houston Partnership, including its President and CEO Jeff Moseley, and Safeway"s Executive Vice President, Chief Strategist and Administrative Officer Larree Renda.
As the debate continues on how best to reform our health care system, Sen. Cornyn believes:
- Washington should take its cues from the people - not the other way around.
- Washington elites want to rush through a bad bill - rather than take the time to get it right.
- Reducing health care costs should be our top priority.
- Real reform will put patients back in charge.
- Washington-run plans are not the solution.
Office of Senator Cornyn