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Congressman Paul Ryan’s Speech To Medical Bloggers At The National Press Club

July 18th, 2009 by Dr. Val Jones in Announcements, Health Policy

Tags: Blog Event, Congress, Costs, Healthcare reform, Healthcare Reform: Putting Patients First, Landmark Event, Medical Bloggers, National Press Club, Paul Ryan, Politics, Public Plan

Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI)

*** Congressman Paul Ryan addressed the crowd at Better Health’s “Healthcare Reform: Putting Patients First” event. This is a transcript of his speech: ***

This event is a landmark in how we get discussion and debate going in the 21st century.  We are communicating with the grass roots, with medical bloggers here in this room and across the country.

Let me tell you this: I don’t want government interfering in the relationship between doctors and patients…and I don’t want insurance companies interfering either!  I want a vibrant health care market that lets patients choose the health care options that are right for them and their loved ones.  I want a free market democracy that puts patients first.  We can have this, and I’ll say something more about that in a minute.

Right now Congress is rushing through a health care overhaul that goes in the opposite direction.  It’s important to analyze the relative financial costs and benefits of these proposals, but our greater challenge is not the dollars and cents.  It goes to the issue of continuing the tradition of excellent health care that medical practitioners now provide.  It’s about the equal dignity of each human person…and the future of America as a free society.  The American character, and the principles of freedom & democracy which protect & preserve it, may be lost beyond recovery if Congress chooses the wrong path on health care reform—the path down which I believe the Obama Administration seems determined to lead our country.

Public health has always been a government priority.  Our Constitution’s Framers saw every individual as having a “right of personal security” which includes being protected against acts that may harm personal health.  This right is part of the natural right to life, and it is government’s very purpose to secure our natural rights to live, to be free, and to pursue happiness.

Now here is where believers in big government make their big mistake.  The right of each person to protection of health does not imply that government must provide health care.  The right to have food in order to live doesn’t require government to own the farms and raise the crops.  Government’s obligation is normally met by establishing the conditions for free markets to thrive.  Societies with economic freedom almost always have a growing abundance of goods and services at affordable costs for the largest number.  When free markets seem to be failing to meet this test – and I’d argue today’s health care delivery is an example – government should not supply the need itself.  It should correct its own interventions and liberate choice and competition.

We know from survey after survey that a vast majority of Americans are personally satisfied with the quality of their own health care.  The problem is really with health care delivery, which is growing too costly and leaving many people without coverage.  The proponents of government-run health care claim there are only two alternatives: either enact their plan or do nothing.  This is false. Government bureaucracy is not the answer to insurance company bureaucracy.

An authentic solution to the problem of affordability should be guided by the principles of moral and political freedom… respect doctor and patient privacy…restrain spending…and channel the energy of our free market system, not dry it up.   There is no lack of sensible alternative solutions proposed by Republicans to put patients first. Senators Coburn and Burr, and Congressman Nunes and I have offered one, called “The Patients’ Choice Act.”  It’s an example of how to eliminate government-driven market distortions that exclude many from affordable health care delivery.  More uninsured Americans can be covered by spending current dollars more wisely and efficiently than by throwing trillions more at the problem.  Our health care delivery alternatives are based on timeless American moral and political truths.

In essence, we believe that the dollars and decisions should flow through the individual patient, not from the government.  I want to see a market where providers truly compete against each other for our business as consumers and patients – not a bureaucratized system where health care providers vie for government favor as patients wait in line. Read more »

Better Health Blogger, Dr. Rob Lamberts, Joins Quick & Dirty Tips

July 13th, 2009 by Dr. Val Jones in Announcements

Tags: Dr. Rob Lamberts, Podcasts, Quick and Dirty Tips

Congratulations to Better Health blogger, Dr. Rob Lamberts, for landing a regular podcasting gig.

Here’s the press release:

***

The HOUSE CALL DOCTOR’S QUICK AND DIRTY TIPS FOR TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH, hosted by Dr. Rob Lamberts, joins the highly successful Quick and Dirty Tips iTunes podcasts on July 14, with free content also available for download at www.quickanddirtytips.com.

How can I lower my cholesterol? Is Tylenol really safe? Why do my bruises itch? No topic is off limits for the House Call Doctor—the newest addition to Macmillan’s Quick and Dirty Tips self-improvement franchise. Dr. Rob Lamberts practices full-time in his primary care private practice in the southeastern US.  He is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, and has doctored for the past 15 years. Lamberts’ recent involvement in the advocacy of electronic medical records has received national recognition and his popular medical blog, Musings of a Distractible Mind, was named one of Tara Parker-Pope’s “favorite medical blogs” in her New York Times Well blog.

With his trademark sense of humor and straightforward advice, Dr. Lamberts answers a wide variety of questions in this QDT podcast, mixing his extensive experience in the medical field with accessible advice that is both accurate and easy to understand. Filled with friendly and in-depth answers on listeners’ most pressing health issues, House Call Doctor offers progressive and innovative ways to look at medicine and the healthcare industry as a whole.

The House Call Doctor’s first series of podcasts will cover a wide range of health concerns and medical inquiries, including:

– What do I really need to know about cholesterol?

– How do I talk to my doctor about medical information I’ve found on the Internet?

– Where do bruises come from, and how can I get rid of them?

– What are the dangers of using popular pain relievers, such as Tylenol?

– What should I look out for to prevent the over use of antibiotics?

Dr. Lamberts’ expert tips will give listeners the tools they need to understand their bodies better and improve their health and quality of life. His goal with the House Call Doctor is to “make medical things easier to understand and hopefully to offer a little entertainment in the process.” As Dr. Lamberts says, “People want to understand their health, but unfortunately many of the explanations out there are either confusing or boring.”

Quick and Dirty Tips, known for both its friendly and informative style and its innovative digital content distribution, has already introduced fourteen fascinating experts on a variety of subjects to millions of fans via podcasts, audiobooks, and online interaction. Popular Quick and Dirty Tips shows include: Grammar Girl, Sales Guy, The Dog Trainer, and Money Girl.

Myth-Busting With Adam Savage & The Amazing Randi

July 11th, 2009 by Dr. Val Jones in Announcements

Tags: Adam Savage, James Randi, Jennifer Ouellette, JREF, Myth-Busters, NAS, Phil Plait, SBM Conference, Science Based Medicine, TAM7

I’m in Las Vegas at the Science Based Medicine (SBM) conference – where I helped to explain the reasons why science is critical in separating fact from fiction. Following the SBM event, critical thinkers from across the US and Canada gathered to discuss myth-busting in various forms… I really enjoyed meeting up with SBM bloggers, Adam Savage (from the hit TV show, Mythbusters), Jennifer Ouellette (a physicist and Director of The Science and Entertainment Exchange at the National Academy of Sciences), astronomer blogger Phil Plait, and The Amazing Randy – a magician devoted to exposing medical fraud and the tricks of the trade.

Blogging will be a little light this weekend… please enjoy the pics! (I did get to interview both Adam Savage and James Randi… so stay tuned for those!)

Adam Savage (Mythbusters) & Dr. Val

I'm amazed by Randi

The Novella Brothers & Friends

Better Health Sponsors Blogger-Politician Healthcare Reform Discussion At National Press Club

July 9th, 2009 by Dr. Val Jones in Announcements, Health Policy, Humor

Tags: Dr. Alan Dappen, Dr. Jim Herndon, Dr. Kevin Pho, Dr. Rich Fogoros, Dr. Rob Lamberts, Dr. Val Jones, Dr. Westby Fisher, Event, Kim McAllister, National Press Club, Paul Ryan, Putting Patients First, Rea Blakey

To join the event live, please contact john.briley@getbetterhealth.com Seating is limited…

Congressman Paul Ryan

Media Personality Rea Blakey

Health Care Reform: Putting Patients First

Elected Officials Join America’s Top Medical Bloggers to Discuss the Real,

Clinical Impact of Health Care Reform

WHAT: As the health care debate heats up on the Hill, join Representative Paul Ryan as he sits down with top medical bloggers from across the country to discuss health care reform and its impact on practicing clinicians. This keynote discussion will be followed by two panels of physician and nurse bloggers who will highlight the importance of putting patients first.  Topics covered will include key barriers to health care quality, affordability, and access as well as the potential pitfalls of a new public plan and ways to fix the current system without investing billions in a new one.

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For more information on Better Health, visit https://www.getbetterhealth.com.

Happy Fourth Of July From Washington, DC

July 4th, 2009 by Dr. Val Jones in Announcements

Tags: Fourth Of July, Independence Day, July 4th, USA

Blogging will resume tomorrow… Photo Credit