Michelle Fischbach on Health Care

Look at waste; root out fraud and abuse

Fischbach: If there was one benefit from the changes we made due to COVID, it was found in the solutions made by technology. When we couldn't meet in person, we turned to conference calls and online meetings like Zoom. Due to the COVID [pandemic], telehealth options like virtual doctor visits started to play a bigger role in health care. We need to take a hard look at waste created by duplicative and ineffective programs and always be on guard to root out fraud and abuse.

Establish out of pocket cap for senior prescriptions

Fischbach: There are many good proposals for addressing the cost of prescription drugs. We can establish an out-of-pocket cap and allow seniors to spread their out-of-pocket expenses across the entire calendar year. Any discounts negotiated by pharmacy benefit managers should absolutely be passed along to the consumer. We can also stop "pay for delay," when drug manufacturers pay generic drug manufacturers to keep their lower cost alternatives out of pharmacies.

Support home visits covered by tax credits & Medicare

Fischbach: Being at home is the best choice for our parents and grandparents, so I would support home visits covered by tax credits or covered by Medicare if it's medically related. The Provider Relief Fund provides training and resources to nursing home staff and offers payments based on standards of care. This is a good example of an incentive-based public-private partnership that can help address the reimbursement gap [from] Medicaid for long-term care facilities.

ACA is socialized medicine; reform within system

Strongly anti-universal coverage, according to AFA survey.

The AFA inferred whether candidates agree or disagree with the statement, 'It is the government's responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance'? Self-description: (American Family Association helps produce iVoterGuides): "Grounded in God; rooted in research"; they "thoroughly investigate candidates"; when they cannot "evaluate with confidence, they receive an 'Insufficient' rating" (& we exclude)

Strongly pro-private insurance, according to AFA survey.

The AFA inferred whether candidates agree or disagree with the statement, 'I support the elimination of private healthcare insurance'? Self-description: (American Family Association helps produce iVoterGuides): "Grounded in God; rooted in research"; they "thoroughly investigate candidates"; when they cannot "evaluate with confidence, they receive an 'Insufficient' rating" (& we exclude)