Health Care
Senator Sununu has been a leader in improving the current health care system by making tangible, achievable changes. These efforts have centered on improving access to care, lowering overall health care costs, removing fraud and waste, promoting efficiency and technology usage, and preserving the positive elements of the current system. At the same time, he has been active in addressing broader health care reform, including improving health care options for small businesses and self-employed individuals.
New Hampshire Community Health Centers – John has led numerous efforts to preserve funding and capabilities of Community Health Centers, which provide basic health care services to rural areas or serve underinsured populations. This work has included sponsoring a successful amendment to increase federal funding in FY 2006, obtaining funding for numerous purposes at NH centers, and supporting the fight against decertification of NH’s rural centers. NH’s centers have repeatedly honored Senator Sununu for his strong advocacy.
Small Business Insurance Options – John strongly supports the ability of small businesses and individuals to pool together to buy health insurance through association health plans. This provides greater purchasing power, resulting in lower costs for health plans. Moreover, he fully supports full tax deductibility of small business insurance costs, and expanded options and availability of health savings accounts. Recently, he cosponsored Senator Roger Wicker’s Making Health Care More Affordable Act, which includes these core reforms and others to expand health insurance coverage and reduce insurance costs.
Children’s Health Insurance – John fought to preserve and expand the federal-state partnership that provides health care plans for those children whose parents earn above the eligibility threshold for Medicaid, but still cannot afford health insurance. This limited but worthy program is well received in New Hampshire under the banner of New Hampshire Healthy Kids Program. As an independent voice, Senator Sununu voted for the congressional efforts to cover additional children and was prepared to vote to override the administration’s veto if given the opportunity.
Health Technology – As a longstanding proponent of bringing advances in technology to health care, John introduced legislation to provide incentives for doctors to adopt and use electronic prescribing technologies at their practices. The electronic transfer of prescription information from doctors and hospitals to pharmacies lowers medical errors, allows for greater use of generic drugs, lowers health care costs, and improves patient care. Recently, Senator Sununu joined a bipartisan legislative effort to provide grants to doctors to buy new equipment, gives doctors that are early adopters bonus reimbursements for Medicare services, and potentially adjust doctor payments for those unwilling to fully adopt such technologies by a date certain.
Medicare Coverage for Vision Services – John led a successful effort to expand Medicare coverage for vision therapy services (at-home assistance and training for spatial orientation and mobility). As a result, participating seniors with extreme vision difficulties can help prevent debilitating injuries, such as burns and falls.
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