Roger Wicker on Health Care Republican Jr Senator; previously Republican Representative (MS-1)

Repeal massive overhaul of America's healthcare system

David Baria (D): Support. "Improving this plan, not weakening it, will be a top priority for me from day one." Strong supporter of Medicaid expansion.

Roger Wicker (R): Repeal. "I am doing everything in my power to delay & repeal this massive overhaul of America's healthcare system"

Private sector is best suited to manage health care

A: The private sector is best suited to manage health care access and cost.

Led effort to derail $7.4 million Medicare cuts

Expand tax-free medical savings accounts

Wicker supports the following principles regarding health issues:
• Allow small business owners, the self-employed and workers whose employers do not provide health insurance to have the same deductibility for health costs as corporations and large employers.
• Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts, which would be taxed if used for any purpose other than medical costs.
• Establish limits on the amount of damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.

Rated 11% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record.

The American Public Health Association (APHA) is the oldest and largest organization of public health professionals in the world, representing more than 50,000 members from over 50 occupations of public health. APHA is concerned with a broad set of issues affecting personal and environmental health, including federal and state funding for health programs, pollution control, programs and policies related to chronic and infectious diseases, a smoke-free society, and professional education in public health.

The following ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization`s preferred position.

Establish a national childhood cancer database.

Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2007 - A bill to advance medical research and treatments into pediatric cancers, ensure patients and families have access to the current treatments and information regarding pediatric cancers, establish a population-based national childhood cancer database, and promote public awareness of pediatric cancers.

Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to childhood cancer professional and direct service organizations for the expansion and widespread implementation of:
1. activities that provide information on treatment protocols to ensure early access to the best available therapies and clinical trials for pediatric cancers;
2. activities that provide available information on the late effects of pediatric cancer treatment to ensure access to necessary long-term medical and psychological care; and
3. direct resource services such as educational outreach for parents, information on school reentry and postsecondary education, and resource directories or referral services for financial assistance, psychological counseling, and other support services.

Support enhanced health insurance marketplace pooling.

A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to provide for enhanced health insurance marketplace pooling and relating market rating.

Small Business Health Plans Act of 2008 -
• Amends ERISA to provide for the establishment and governance of small business health plans, which are group health plans sponsored by trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations.
• Apply the rules and standards of this Act to Alternative Market Pooling Organizations, such as unions, churches, and other groups; and
• Consult with the domicile state regarding the exercise of authority over such plans. Allows other existing plans to be treated as small business health plans under certain circumstances.

Repeal any federal health care takeover.

The Club for Growth`s `Repeal-It!` Pledge for incumbents states, `I hereby pledge to the people of my district/state 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.`

Repeal healthcare mandate, according to CC survey.

The Christian Coalition Voter Guide inferred whether candidates agree or disagree with the statement, 'Repealing the Nationalized Health Care System that Forces Citizens to Buy Insurance ' Christian Coalition's self-description: "Christian Voter Guide is a clearing-house for traditional, pro-family voter guides. We do not create voter guides, nor do we interview or endorse candidates."

Reforms should slow the long-term growth of health costs.

• Whereas health care spending has risen close to 2.4 percentage points faster than gross domestic product (GDP) since 1970; and
• Whereas the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services projects health care spending to be 17.6% of GDP in 2009 and 20.4% of GDP by 2018:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
1. any health care reform proposal should reduce total spending on health care in the United States during the next decade to below current projections by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and
2. any health care reform proposal should reduce the growth rate of Federal health care spending.

Collect data on birth defects and present to the public.

Directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out programs to:
• collect and analyze, and make available data on the causes of birth defects and on the incidence and prevalence of such defects;
• operate regional centers for the conduct of applied epidemiological research on the prevention of such defects;
• provide information and education to the public on the prevention of such defects;
• collect and analyze data by gender and by racial and ethnic group9/6/2004
• collect such data from birth and death certificates, hospital records, and such other sources; and
• (3) encourage States to establish or improve programs for the collection and analysis of epidemiological data on birth defects and to make the data available.