On Healthcare

By Mike Honda

"What could be more important to the families of Silicon Valley than the health and well-being of their loved ones? As a husband and a father of two, I know what it means to want the best possible care for your family. Everyone should have access to quality healthcare at affordable rates, no matter where they live, how old they are, or what background they come from."
- Assemblymember Mike Honda

PASSING A PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS. Today, 71 million Americans rely on a health maintenance organization for their health care needs. Mike Honda wants to ensure that the HMOs' efforts to keep costs down don't interfere with their ability to provide quality healthcare by passing a patients' bill of rights. Among the protections he supports for patients are: the ability to see a specialist without a referral, the ability to receive emergency room care without getting a provider's approval, the right for women to chose their OB/GYN as their primary care physician, and the right to sue a provider if their decision results in some medical harm.

IMPROVING ACCESS TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FOR SENIORS. When Medicare was first established in 1965, prescription drug coverage was not included in the plan, nor was it included in most private coverage plans. However, over time the private plans have added prescription drug coverage while Medicare has not. Seniors are finding it harder and more expensive to get access to the life-saving prescription drugs they need. Mike Honda supports allowing seniors to use their Medicare for prescription drug coverage and requiring pharmaceutical companies to offer prescription drugs to seniors at the same discount rates they offer the big insurance companies.

ENSURING THE LONG TERM SOLVENCY OF MEDICARE. In order to ensure that Medicare continues to be available for current retirees and well into the future, Mike Honda supports using all of the social security surplus and a portion of the budget surplus to pay down the national debt. With the money saved from not having to pay the interest on the debt, we can ensure the solvency of Medicare into the year 2025 and the solvency of Social Security into the year 2050.