St. Joseph Hospital Family Practice - Wichita, Kansas, December 19-20, 1993

Item

Other Media

c019_083_012_001_tr

Transcription (Scripto)

Read Full Text Only

Extent (Dublin Core)

23 Pages

Item Archival Status (Curation)

In American Congress Digital Archives Portal

File Name (Dublin Core)

c019_083_012_001

Title (Dublin Core)

St. Joseph Hospital Family Practice - Wichita, Kansas, December 19-20, 1993

Description (Dublin Core)

Speech by Senator Dole to the St. Joseph Family Practice. He discusses the health care reform debate and its correlation with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

Date (Dublin Core)

1993-12-20

Date Created (Dublin Core)

1993-12-20

Congress (Dublin Core)

103rd (1993-1995)

Topics (Dublin Core)

See all items with this valueMedical care

See all items with this valueHealth care reform

Policy Area (Curation)

Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Creator (Dublin Core)

Dole, Robert J., 1923-2021

Record Type (Dublin Core)

speeches (documents)

Names (Dublin Core)

See all items with this valueClinton, Bill, 1946-

See all items with this valueDole, Robert J., 1923-2021

Location representation (Dublin Core)

Kansas (state)

Wichita (inhabited place)

Rights (Dublin Core)

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

Language (Dublin Core)

eng

Collection Finding Aid (Dublin Core)

https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=52&q=

Physical Location (Dublin Core)

Collection 019, Box 83, Folder 12

Institution (Dublin Core)

Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Archival Collection (Dublin Core)

Robert J. Dole Speeches Collection, 1958-1996

Full Text (Extract Text)

SENATOR DOLE SPEECH TO
ST. JOSEPH FAMILY PRACTICE
DECEMBER 20, 1993

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.

THE CURRENT HEALTHCARE REFORM DEBATE HAS FINALLY BECOME A LEGISLATIVE DEBATE. AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR OF CAMPAIGN RHETORIC, ACTUAL BILLS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS. THE MOST WELL TOUTED, PERHAPS, BEING THE 1,350 PAGES OF DETAILS IN PRESIDENT CLINTON'S PLAN.

FOR SOME TIME, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN FUZZV ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF ITS PLAN. BUT, NOW THE DETAILS ARE ON RECORD. POLITICAL ADVISORS, POLLSTERS, AND OTHERS KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC WILL PROBABLY NEVER FULLY UNDERSTAND ALL THE DETAILS CONTAINED IN THOSE 1,350 PAGES. BUT, MY VIEW IS THAT UNLESS THE PUBLIC -- AND GROUPS SUCH AS YOURS -- IS INVOLVED IN THIS IMPORTANT DEBATE, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WILL BE MAKING PUBLIC POLICY DECISIONS IN A VACUUM.

I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO TELL YOU, AS HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, THAT, FEW, IF ANY, ISSUES AFFECT OUR LIVES, OUR FAMILIES, OUR JOBS, OUR HOPES, AND OUR DREAMS MORE THAN HEAL TH CARE. THAT IS WHY IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER THAT THE HEALTHCARE REFORM DEBATE NOT BE CONFINED TO COMMITTEE ROOMS IN WASHINGTON, BUT EXTENDED TO LIVING ROOMS, WORK PLACES, KITCHEN TABLES, AND GATHERINGS SUCH AS THIS ONE.

IN PRESIDENT CLINTON'S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS ON HIS HEALTHCARE PLAN HE LISTED HIS PRINCIPLES OF REFORM. THE LAST PRINCIPLE, WHICH I BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIS FIRST, WAS RESPONSIBILITY. I THINK THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE TO REMEMBER.

AS THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE EVOLVES, I, AS A LEADER IN CONGRESS, HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO LEARN FROM THE PLAYERS IN THIS DEBATE -- THE DOCTORS, NURSES, INSURANCE COMPANIES, ADMINISTRATORS, AND CONSUMERS -- ON HOW THEY BELIEVE HEALTHCARE CAN BEST BE DELIVERED IN THIS COUNTRY. BUT, EACH OF THESE PARTIES ALSO HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT WE DEVELOP A FAIR AND EQUITABLE HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SYSTEM THAT PROMISES CARE TO ALL AMERICANS.

AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DOZENS OF PLANS OUT THERE. AND, AS l'VE SAID BEFORE, THE DIFFERENCES LIE IN THE PRESCRIPTION FOR REFORM. THERE ISN'T MUCH DISAGREEMENT OVER THE DIAGNOSIS. WE ALL AGREE THAT THE U.S. HEALTH CARE SYSTEM PROVIDES MOST AMERICANS WITH READY ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY, STATE-OF-THE-ART HEALTHCARE. THROUGH RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, WE HAVE DEVELOPED THE BEST MEDICAL CARE IN THE WORLD.

SUCCESS, HOWEVER, HAS COME AT A STEEP PRICE. FOR ALL ITS MERITS, THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS. COSTS ARE HIGH. THE SYSTEM IS INEQUITABLE. IT IS WASTEFUL. MANY PEOPLE ARE LOCKED INTO JOBS THEY DON'T LIKE BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID OF LOSING THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE. AND, MILLIONS MORE DO NOT HAVE COVERAGE, FORCING THEM TO CHOOSE BETWEEN GOING UNTREATED OR RECEIVING CARE IN CROWDED, EXPENSIVE EMERGENCY ROOMS.

AS HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WHO WILL LARGELY PRACTICE IN RURAL AREAS, YOU KNOW THESE QUALITIES TO BE EVEN MORE TRUE. IN RURAL AMERICA, PEOPLE ARE MORE OFTEN POOR, MORE OFTEN UNINSURED, AND MORE OFTEN IN LACK OF ACCESS TO CARE.

SO, WHAT DO WE DO? AS THE DEBATE OVER OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM CONTINUES, THE QUESTION FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TO ASK IS NOT WHETHER HEALTH CARE WILL BE REFORMED, BUT WHETHER REFORM WILL ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF OUR PROBLEMS WHILE KEEPING INTACT THE MANY VIRTUES WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT.

IT HAS BEEN SAID, "FOR EVERY COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT PROBLEM, THERE IS A SIMPLE SOLUTION -- AND IT IS WRONG."

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, THERE IS NO SIMPLE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS FACING OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. AMERICANS HAVE BECOME ALMOST UNANIMOUS IN BELIEVING THAT MAJOR REFORM IS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL COVERAGE AND BETTER VALUE FOR THE MONEY. BUT, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, LIKE THE EXPERTS, IS MUCH LESS CERTAIN WHAT SHAPE REFORM SHOULD TAKE.

THE PROBLEMS ARE OBVIOUS. THE SOLUTIONS ARE NOT.

I RECALL A CARTOON I ONCE SAW OF A PATIENT SITTING IN A DENTIST'S CHAIR, WITH HIS EYES BULGING AND A LARGE FIRE-CRACKER IN HIS MOUTH. THE DENTIST SAYS TO HIM, "THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO DO A ROOT CANAL, BUT THEY COST MORE."

I THINK THIS UNDERSCORES THAT IN OUR ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE OUR CURRENT SYSTEM, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT, ABOVE ALL, DO NO HARM.

SO, AS WE DEBATE THE VARIOUS PLANS IN THE COMING MONTHS, WE, IN CONGRESS, HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE BOTTOM LINE IS SECURITY. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE SECURITY IN THEIR ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE -- SECURITY IN THEIR ABILITY TO CHOOSE THEIR PROVIDER -- AND SECURITY IN KNOWING THAT THE PRICE TAG OF HEALTH CARE REFORM WILL NOT BE ECONOMIC INSTABILITY.

WE HAVE A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF US. IN MY VIEW WE WON'T SEE ANY PLAN -- THE PRESIDENT'S OR ANY OTHER -- ADOPTED MUCH BEFORE THIS TIME NEXT YEAR -- OR EVEN LATER.

I WILL CONCLUDE BY SAYING WE WELCOME YOUR IDEAS -- WE NEED THEM. AS A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, I KNOW WE OWE IT TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TO GET IT RIGHT. THE MORE IDEAS, THE MORE DISCUSSION, THE MORE DEBATE, THE BETTER. WE NEED TO HEAR THEM ALL.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU, WHO ARE OUT THERE ON THE FRONT LINES EVERY DAY SAVING LIVES AND REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE IN THE COMING MONTHS.