Marco Rubio on Health Care

Let people decide how to spend health care dollars

All kids should get vaccinated, with medical exceptions

Several Republicans also have voiced support for vaccinations. "Unless they are immune-suppressed for medical exceptions, but I believe all children should be vaccinated," Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said. "Absolutely, all children in America should be vaccinated."

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said all children should be vaccinated, and didn't know if another law was required.

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) helped fuel the controversy this week, saying parents should "have some measure of choice" in vaccinating their children.

ObamaCare stifles entrepreneurship with regulation

World Health Organization can't combat Ebola; only US can

The US is the country best equipped with the resources and power to tackle the medical and logistical nightmare that the Ebola epidemic has become. With more than 4,000 dead and infection rates increasing, this outbreak of Ebola is not going to go away quickly.

Yet while we need a more effective and rapid response to contain the outbreak in West Africa, we also need to make sure sufficient safeguards are in place to protect Americans. We have to make sure that every aspect of our federal government's response--from our passenger screening efforts to our public health system--is effectively prepared to prevent the spread of Ebola.

Ban visas from Ebola-stricken countries; target the source

1. Pres. Obama should publicly designate a senior government official to lead a task force, so Americans have some reassurance that someone in our country is in charge.
2. We need to target the problem at the source--it's the right thing to do for humanitarian reasons, but it's also essential to protecting the American people
3. The State Department should institute a temporary ban on new visas to non-US nationals seeking to travel to the US from Liberia, Sierra Leone & Guinea. We should also ensure that agents at airports have the equipment & training to deal with potential cases. And additional travel restrictions should not be ruled out.
4. We should consider centralizing all future cases at the two medical facilities in the US that have already successfully treated patients.
5. Finally, we need to increase our efforts to develop an Ebola vaccine and to increase production of antiviral drugs.

Medicaid expansion fails because funded only for a few years

RUBIO: Well, here is the distinguishing factor. Under ObamaCare, when you turn Medicaid over to the states what you're saying to them is the money will be available up front for the expansion for a few years, then the money will go away but you get stuck with the unfunded liability. I'm not saying we should do that. I'm actually saying that what we should do is take the existing federal funding that we use for some of these programs, and we're still working through which ones those should be, collapse them in to one central federal agency that would then transfer that money to fund innovative state programs that address the same issues. But it would be funded, it wouldn't be something where states are told you get the money for a few years then we'll back away. And it should be revenue neutral.

FactCheck: ObamaCare is not now forcing loss of insurance

The fact is, ObamaCare is expected to cause millions of uninsured Americans to gain health insurance, not lose it. Rubio's office points to a Congressional Budget Office report that said 27 million of the uninsured would have coverage by 2017.

Rubio's claim about some people losing "health insurance they were happy with" references the CBO's estimate that the number with employer-sponsored coverage would decline by 7 million by 2017. That's a net reduction, with some workers gaining coverage, some losing it, and others deciding to obtain other insurance on their own.

But these are estimates for what the insurance landscape will look like in the future. People aren't "now . losing the health insurance they were happy with," as Rubio said. In fact, CBO's estimates show 2 million uninsured Americans gaining coverage this year.

Expand mental health centers; address violence at its source

"America must approach the issue of mental illness with the care, attention and compassion that it deserves," said Rubio. "Through recent acts of violence, we have seen the tragic cost that can come from untreated mental illnesses. This bill addresses violence at its source and will ease the struggles of countless individuals and families."

Fewer than half of the people with severe mental disorders receive treatment of any kind in a given year. The current lack of access to quality care ultimately forces local law enforcement to respond to psychiatric emergencies and diverts officers from other duties.

Address mental illness with care, attention and compassion

"America must approach the issue of mental illness with the care, attention and compassion that it deserves," said Rubio. "Through recent acts of violence, we have seen the tragic cost that can come from untreated mental illnesses. The Excellence in Mental Health Act will save lives by addressing violence at its source and will ease the struggles of countless individuals and families dealing with mental illness."

Source: Rubio Senate press release, "Strengthen Mental Health" , Feb 7, 2013

Backed out of Race for the Cure over abortion funding fight

I knew from following Senator Rubio's career that he is extremely pro-life, and I was certain that this had to be a difficult issue for him--his desire to support Komen versus his faith. I would later learn that the senator received calls from two Florida bishops.

A week later, the senator withdrew from Komen, including stepping away from his role with the Palm Beach gala in January. I was not surprised.

Medicare's hospice care let my father die with dignity

Expand prescription benefits to low-income seniors

Provide alternatives to employer-based insurance system

RUBIO: Well, it's not about moving away. It's about providing an alternative to it.

Q: If you go to Washington, would you work to repeal healthcare reform?

Source: Fox News Sunday 2010 Florida primary Senate debate , Mar 28, 2010

Launch a marketplace of affordable health insurance

Quality Healthcare at an Affordable Price
• Expanded Choice in Medicaid: Give Medicaid participants control over their own health while encouraging healthy habits
• Secure accountability for quality and costs from hospitals receiving tax support
• Implement Florida Senior Care to allow Florida seniors to remain independent and receive the care they need at home
• Use Transparency to Foster Value-Based Healthcare Decisions
• Create a "one-stop" source of information on assistance for Florida's uninsured
• Reward physicians who use technology like e-prescribing to reduce errors and improve efficiency
• Launch a marketplace of affordable health insurance
• Encourage healthcare providers to expand preventive services and walk-in care for uninsured Floridians
• Help hospitals serve patients with immediate medical problems to avoid emergency departments while still receiving the necessary care

Capitated managed-care systems achieve better value

Medicaid reform provides more money for consumers in two eligibility categories--low-income families and persons who are elderly and disabled. The remaining Medicaid patients should be able to benefit from the reform initiative as soon as possible.

Reform relies on capitated managed care systems to achieve fiscal accountability and better value for patients. The plan also invites active participation through the development of provider service networks (PSNs), an innovative method of service delivery in which providers offer expertise in care management.

Voted YES on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts.

[Sen. DeMint, R-SC]: The Democrats have Medicare on a course of bankruptcy. Republicans are trying to save Medicare & make sure there are options for seniors in the future. Medicare will not be there 5 or 10 years from now. Doctors will not see Medicare patients at the rate [Congress will] pay.

[Sen. Ayotte, R-NH]: We have 3 choices when it comes to addressing rising health care costs in Medicare. We can do nothing & watch the program go bankrupt in 2024. We can go forward with the President's proposal to ration care through an unelected board of 15 bureaucrats. Or we can show real leadership & strengthen the program to make it solvent for current beneficiaries, and allow future beneficiaries to make choices.

Opponent's Arguments for voting No:

[Sen. Conrad, D-ND]: In the House Republican budget plan, the first thing they do is cut $4 trillion in revenue over the next 10 years. For the wealthiest among us, they give them an additional $1 trillion in tax reductions. To offset these massive new tax cuts, they have decided to shred the social safety net. They have decided to shred Medicare. They have decided to shred program after program so they can give more tax cuts to those who are the wealthiest among us.

[Sen. Merkley, D-TK]: The Republicans chose to end Medicare as we know it. The Republican plan reopens the doughnut hole. That is the hole into which seniors fall when, after they have some assistance with the first drugs they need, they get no assistance until they reach a catastrophic level. It is in that hole that seniors have had their finances devastated. We fixed it. Republicans want to unfix it and throw seniors back into the abyss. Then, instead of guaranteeing Medicare coverage for a fixed set of benefits for every senior--as Medicare does now--the Republican plan gives seniors a coupon and says: Good luck. Go buy your insurance. If the insurance goes up, too bad.
Status: Failed 40-57

Opposes government-run healthcare.

The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.

The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Federal government run health care system"

Defund, repeal, & replace federal care with free market.

The Contract from America, clause 7. Defund, Repeal, & Replace Government-run Health Care:

Defund, repeal and replace the recently passed government-run health care with a system that actually makes health care and insurance more affordable by enabling

Repeal any federal health care takeover.

The Club for Growth's "Repeal-It!" Pledge for candidates states, "I hereby pledge to the people of my district/state upon my election to the U.S. House of Representatives/U.S. Senate, to sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government."