I agree that the cost of health care is simply unbearable for many Kansas families.   

This is why I am working to provide access to quality, affordable health care for all Kansans.   

As a member of the Senate Health and Finance Committees, I have long supported efforts to give consumers better choices and more control over their health care. I support expanding tax incentives and health savings accounts to help individuals purchase health care. I am also working to expand and improve health care options for small businesses. In addition, I am continuing my efforts to expand the Children’s Health Insurance program to more low-income Kansas children, and strengthen and improve the Medicare program for Kansas seniors.  

In the 109^th Congress, I helped craft legislation signed into law by President Bush which provides funding to states to create high risk pools for individuals who would otherwise be uninsured because of the high cost of health insurance (P.L. 109-172). I am pleased the state of Kansas offers such a high risk pool for Kansas residents who have been denied health coverage. For more information on this benefit, please call the Kansas State High Risk Pool program at 1-800-362-9290 .   

We must also take steps to get at the heart of growing health care costs. One such improvement would be the adoption of Health Information Technology (HIT) by health care providers. I am a cosponsor of legislation in Senate that will lay the foundation for technology and information sharing among doctors, hospitals, and insurers. Our legislation, the Wired for Health Care Quality Act (S. 1693), creates an Office of National Health Information Technology within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure. The bill also creates four separate grant programs for health care providers and medical schools to facilitate the purchase and enhance the utilization of health IT, especially in our rural areas. S. 1693 also takes the necessary steps to protect patient privacy. The intent of our legislation is to improve patient care, reduce medical errors, and make health care more efficient.  

I also understand that better access to generic medications will help bring down the costs of prescription drugs. The Senate Health Committee is already addressing this issue. Last June, we approved legislation to allow for generic forms of biologic drugs. Biologic drugs are generally more complex and more expensive drugs, like insulin. Unfortunately, current law does not allow for more affordable, generic versions of these products to come to the market. This forces families to pay hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars for their needed medications. That is not right. The bill we passed makes sure affordable versions of these products can come to the market, which will ease the undue burden on our hardworking families.   

In addition, I am working to encourage and foster disease prevention efforts and policies to reduce future health care costs. Finally, I have long supported increased funding for the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration to improve disease research and speed the development of better technologies and medical cures and breakthroughs.