WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, United States Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) released this statement in response to President Obama’s address to Congress.
“While I have many concerns regarding the current health care proposals in the House of Representatives, we all know that the cost of our current health care system is unsustainable. Our country spends $1 out of every $6 of our Gross Domestic Product on health care, and by 2040 it is projected that we’ll be spending $1 out of every $3 if we do not work to control costs now. We spend nearly twice as much as any other nation for health care, but we rank 22nd in the world in terms of the quality of care we are receiving.
“The fact is, Americans continue to pay more but get less for their health care. Some of the major contributors to this problem include pharmaceutical manufacturers and private insurance companies that continue to abuse the system to ultimately increase their profit margins at the expense of the sick.
“There is no reason for someone who has cancer or is in a car accident to go bankrupt because they were denied coverage due to a preexisting condition or because they were underinsured. We must have health insurance reform but we must work to find a fiscally responsible solution that preserves what works, fixes what doesn’t, and makes health care better and more affordable for all Americans,” said Congressman Marion Berry.
