Alexander Hamilton once wrote, “The true test of a good government is its aptitude and tendency to produce a good administration.” The nomination of my colleague Dr. Tom Price for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) brings us one step closer to meeting that mark.
As a doctor myself, I’ve experienced personally the burden that heavy-handed bureaucracy and regulations place on patients, practitioners, and providers of all sizes. They drive up costs and drive doctors out of practice. They confuse rather than clarify, and – at the end of the day – burden anxious patients with even greater anxiety.
For decades, the problem has compounded. Now, America needs a seasoned policymaker and experienced physician to navigate these challenges.
Before coming to Congress, Price spent 20 years serving as an orthopedic surgeon. That is two decades of meeting personally with patients and looking them in the eye while discussing their medical needs and concerns, treatment opportunities, and payment options. Who better to run an organization whose main goal is to “enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans” than a physician who has already dedicated his life to that very cause?
It may come as surprise to most, but — if confirmed — Price would be only the third physician in the history of the United States government to serve in this distinguished role. The last doctor to oversee HHS was Dr. Louis Wade Sullivan, who served in the George H.W. Bush Administration. Under his leadership, the Department made significant strides.
Too often in Washington, it seems as if the individuals calling the shots on critical issues that have sweeping impact for Americans across the country are career politicians rather than experienced professionals or dedicated public servants. With Price, America gets both.
In Congress, Price has earned a reputation as a proven problem solver as well as one of Washington’s foremost experts on healthcare quality and financing, garnering respect from colleagues across the political spectrum. In the House of Representatives, Price has served as the chairman of the House Budget Committee and a member of the Ways and Means Committee. This breadth of knowledge has provided him with a keen grasp on the budgetary impacts of healthcare policy in addition to an expert understanding of the nuts and bolts it takes to successfully formulate effective policy solutions.
The comprehensive Empowering Patients First Act, introduced in previous sessions and sponsored by Price, exemplifies this well. This legislation repeals Obamacare and enacts patient-centered solutions that would empower Americans — not the federal government — with the freedom to make healthcare decisions that are best for themselves, their families, and their loved ones. It embodies Price’s core belief that all Americans, including seniors, children, the chronically ill and those with disabilities, should have the peace of mind that comes from a stable and predictable system of affordable care.
With his expertise as both an orthopedic surgeon and a lawmaker specializing in healthcare and fiscal policy, Price is uniquely qualified to achieve these goals and lead a patient-centered approach to repairing America’s broken healthcare system. At the helm of HHS, he will bring to bear his in-depth understanding of how our healthcare system functions in the real world, and how we can structure it to better serve the Americans who rely on it for care, cures, and treatment. The fact that there is such widespread support for his nomination from across a variety of sectors of the medical industry underscores the fact that his experience and knowledge would serve the administration of HHS well in this capacity.
Despite this, Price has already endured a confirmation process twice as long as both of President Obama’s HHS appointments combined. I urge my colleagues in the Senate on both sides of the aisle to move forward with his confirmation in a timely fashion, so he can get to work giving Americans the healthcare system they deserve: One that works for them, not Washington.
I am certain that Price became a doctor to help people. I am certain that he became a congressman in an effort to help even more people. And I am certain that, by becoming the secretary of Health and Human Services, Price will be able help all of America.
Dr. Brad Wenstrup represents Ohio’s second district in Congress.
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