Yesterday, Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03), along with Congressman Mark Kirk (Ill.) and Charlie Dent (Penn.), announced introduction of the "Medical Rights and Reform Act," a comprehensive health care reform proposal aimed at protecting the doctor-patient relationship, lowering costs and increasing access and choice. 

“This legislation will lower costs and expand access without stepping in the way of the doctor-patient relationship,” said Paulsen.  “Unlike other proposals in Congress that would eliminate or restrict employer-provided health insurance, this bill also ensures these plans are protected so that every American can choose to keep their current insurance.”

The Medical Rights and Reform Act will expand access to care by making health insurance more affordable and giving all Americans more options and control over their health care decisions.

Specifically, the bill will:

• Protect the patient-doctor relationship by preventing  the government from interfering with decisions between patients and their doctors.

• Lower health care costs by fostering state innovation through insurance market reforms, high-risk pools, community health networks, and new association options for small businesses.

• Expand health insurance coverage by providing greater incentives to small businesses to cover their employees; encouraging state-centered insurance markets reforms; giving low-income families the option to use public funds to purchase private health insurance plans; enhancing Health Savings Accounts; allowing young adults to remain dependents on their parent’s plan; and expanding rural health care programs.

• Include lawsuit reforms to end the practice of defensive medicine and ensure fair compensation for injured patients; upgrades and acceleration of health IT programs to improve the quality of care and reduce errors; strong standards and processes to target waste, fraud and abuse; targeted prevention and wellness programs to address costly chronic diseases and promote healthy living; and greater tax incentives for individuals and small businesses to buy health insurance.