“The debt we owe our nation’s veterans is tremendous, as they risked their lives to protect our freedoms,” Boustany said. “I am proud the Veterans Administration will construct a new healthcare clinic in Lake Charles. Access to quality healthcare is critical for veterans in Southwest Louisiana, and this clinic is a demonstration of our commitment to them.”
“In the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, millions of healthcare records were destroyed, and healthcare costs are squeezing family budgets in Southwest Louisiana and around the country,” Boustany said. “One way to lower the cost and improve quality is to adopt personal electronic records to help doctors and other healthcare providers limit duplication and errors, but we should go further to put the patient in control. The Patient-Controlled HealthIT Act gives the patient control over their electronic records enabling them to pass them from doctor to doctor while protecting their privacy.”
“LaCHIP is an important health insurance option for many families in Southwest Louisiana, and I am proud Congress expanded the program last year to fully fund it for every eligible child,” Boustany said. “Ensuring our children have quality access to healthcare is critical. As a doctor, I know the importance of creating quality access to a doctor-patient relationship, and LaCHIP is helping to do this. I appreciate Secretary Levine joining me today to highlight this enrollment effort.”
“People in Southwest Louisiana need real access to quality healthcare, and community health centers like the ones in Lafayette, Lake Charles, Opelousas and Abbeville are a tremendous resource,” Boustany said. “As a physician, I saw firsthand the importance of these health centers, and I will continue to work to support them in Congress.”
“Today’s GAO report shows how popular tax-free HSAs have become among American families in just three years,” Boustany said. “Democrats should stop trying to dismantle this coverage option. These accounts help cover the uninsured and lower health costs with preventive care, lower cost medicines and fewer visits to emergency rooms. One out of ten covered families in Louisiana chooses an HSA plan, and they should be allowed to keep them.”
"My colleagues across the aisle and I debated these very issues yesterday at the Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati," said Boustany. "Republicans argued to strengthen the doctor-patient relationship that is fundamental to good quality healthcare."
“Patients need better choices when it comes to their healthcare decisions, and I saw this everyday as a surgeon,” Boustany said. “Ensuring Americans have reliable, timely access to their physicians must be the foundation for healthcare reform. Patients don’t need the long waiting lines and restricted choices that come from government-run system advocated by some liberal Democrats.”
“Dr. DeBakey is most deserving of Congress’s highest civilian honor,” Boustany said. “As a cardiothoracic surgeon, like Dr. DeBakey, I know the tremendous work he has done. Many of the breakthroughs he invented, I used, so today, I say thank you to the man who taught so many so much.”
“This debate is an exciting opportunity to discuss solutions for America’s healthcare system,” Boustany said. “I look forward to offering both a physician’s and a patient’s perspective of the problems with healthcare, and I hope we develop answers based on the doctor-patient relationship that is critical to quality care.”
“Today, as thousands of Southwest Louisiana families go to pay their taxes, they are also dealing with higher prices at the pump, medical costs and prices at the grocery store,” Boustany said. “Both parties in Congress are to blame for runaway federal spending. The American people deserve better, and we must work towards lowering their tax bill, increasing American energy production and reigning in spending to let people keep more of their own hard-earned money.”
“Firefighters are most often the first emergency response personnel on the scene, and their actions are critical to saving lives,” Boustany said. “I am proud that this legislation improves the training capabilities for these brave men and women who risk their lives to keep us safe.”
“Small businesses represent the best of American ingenuity, and they are vital to our prosperity in Southwest Louisiana,” Boustany said. “I appreciate hearing the issues that these small business owners face as they try to grow their companies, give back to the community and serve as examples of success for others. I will continue to work to fix the H-2B workforce shortage that hampers their growth as well as fighting against taxes preventing development and increasing access to a wide range of healthcare plans to lower cost and provide better choices.”
