With the Coronavirus still an issue, healthcare is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Though the pandemic is an obvious concern, this is also a good time to remember that it’s not our only problem in medicine.

Everyone agrees we pay too much for medicine. It’s just a fact.

Also, everyone agrees that America NEEDS to be the innovator in healthcare – because if we aren’t, who will be? In my last piece, I said that when the cure for Coronavirus comes, it’ll come from the USA. If we don’t step up, no-one else will. That’s something I cannot abide by – not while patients every day long for cures and treatments to diseases that our country has the resources and brainpower to work on!

I still firmly believe that.

However, in order to allow for lower prices and more innovation, our government needs to get on board with the real needs of our healthcare sector. Thankfully, some legislators are acting on this need.

The Lower Cost, More Cures Act (HR19) is a generally bipartisan bill initially put forth by the GOP. It has support from both sides of the aisle and is accepted as a good step towards improving healthcare in America.

This bill encourages innovation of new cures, promotes more low-cost options for patients, and increases transparency while removing uncertainty! All things desperately needed in our healthcare system right now.

This bill was created to respond to Speaker Pelosi’s socialized medicine drug pricing scheme that was floated a while back. Many critics saw through her scheme and opposed it.

As the President has said, “America Will Never Be A Socialist Country!”

Thankfully, those of us who stand with President Trump, we now have a bill to support that falls in line with our Pro-America, Pro-Market, Pro-Freedom agenda. HR 19 is that bill.

Without getting too into the nitty-gritty of this legislation, The Lower Cost, More Cures Act lowers costs for seniors (a population that spends more on medicine than almost any other population) by their capping out-of-pocket costs and providing more flexibility on how they can spend their dollars. HR 19 also makes insulin and other medicare drug treatments like Cancer therapies more affordable – cutting some by as much as half!

That’s just a taste of the good stuff that HR 19 does for our seniors. There is much more!

But don’t take my word for it – you can take it from Congressman Ralph Abraham. The good doctor from Alto, LA, has signed on as a co-sponsor of this legislation because he knows it would be a significant step towards improving our healthcare system.

I want to thank Dr. Abraham for signing on to HR 19 personally. Ralph has been a great leader for Louisiana and for my home – the Fifth Congressional District of Louisiana.

This bill is critical to seniors around the country and to those who care about innovation in medicine. Congressman Abraham has made a great call in supporting this GOP initiative. He has shown real leadership on this issue, and I, for one hope that other legislators like Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise, will follow his lead.

Congressmen, seniors around the state and the country need your support! Please join Ralph Abraham and back The Lower Cost, More Cures Act! You’ve done us proud throughout your tenure in DC – please continue to represent the interests of our state and it’s people!

 

Lu Jones, RN
Monroe, LA