Statement by State Representative Mark Shelton, M.D.

For Immediate Release

March 22, 2010

“As a doctor, I swore an oath to never do harm to my patients.  As a state legislator, I am offended that our Democratic lawmakers have arrogantly and recklessly pushed this bill into law which will ultimately hurt patients, taxpayers, and our country.  Rest assured, I will work tirelessly at the state level to mitigate the potential damage.”

Key Points

Since the government health care-takeover debate started last summer, the legislative process has been mired in bribery, secrecy, and scandal. Only after the legislation passed the House last night were Americans given the opportunity to read the bill — and, what we read, confirms our worst fears.

HR 3590 will result in fines and penalties for employers, increased taxes for businesses, and increased insurance premiums for everyone carrying private health insurance – not to mention an increased federal deficit. Given the fragile state of our economy, this is exactly the wrong move. Our economic recovery is now at risk and unemployment rates will almost certainly remain high for the foreseeable future.

HR 3590 cuts Medicare benefits, which will make it even more difficult for our citizens on Medicare – primary the elderly — to find a physician. The bill instead intends to drive individuals to Medicaid, which will solve nothing. Medicaid is an insolvent and fiscally irresponsible government program that has increasingly low physicians participation due to the fact that physicians lose money on every Medicaid patient they see. This is unsustainable and will only drive more patients to the emergency room for non-urgent care. Furthermore, to comply with Medicaid requirements, Texas will be forced to consider to raise taxes.

HR 3590 reduces funding for treating indigent patients, which will put a strain on our hospitals and result in all of us having to foot the bill by way of higher insurance premiums and health care costs.

HR 3590 also usurps the regulation of the private insurance industry from the states to the federal government. The legislation is full of mandates on the private insurance industry, a move that has been recently demonstrated in California where state mandates have increased the cost of individual insurance premiums by 40 percent. Worst of all, this brings us one step closer to a government-run “public option” insurance program – a move that will destroy what’s left of the free market insurance industry in this country.

HR 3590 is 2,700 pages long, and it will be followed by thousands of more pages of new regulation. It was passed without debate or bipartisan support. This bill, when fully implemented, will increase costs, decrease patient access to quality care, decrease patient choice, and decrease health care quality and innovation in our great nation. As a pediatrician, I am deeply saddened by the passage of this bill. As your representative in the Texas House, I will utilize every tool at my disposal to see that this bill is repealed in order to protect health care for all Americans. I also proudly support Governor Perry and Attorney General Abbott’s efforts to protect Texans from this federal overreach.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! I WAS UNOPPOSED!

I am proud of my first legislative session and the accomplishments it produced, including the passage of a balanced budget without raising taxes, exempting small businesses earning less than $1 million per year from the franchise tax, and improving accountability in our education system.

I am especially proud to have sponsored and passed the ChildLINK bill in the House.  This legislation will provide health insurance to 200,000 uninsured Texas children — at no cost to the taxpayers. As your representative in Austin and as one of only three physicians in the Texas Legislature, I will continue to fight to protect patient access to a free market health care system and stand firm on tort reform to protect medicine, small business, and the people of Texas.

Our state and nation faces many challenges.  I am running for re-election to Texas House District 97, so I can continue fighting to reduce taxes, improve our education system, increase government accountability and transparency, and ensure that Texas remains a friendly place to live and work for generations to come.

I appreciate your vote!

Mark Shelton, MD

House District 97

——————————-

Accomplishments 

·        Recipient of the Taxpayer Advocate Award by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility

·        Named the Health Care Hero by the House Republican Caucus

·        Honored with the White Knight Award by Texas Right to Life

·        Increased funding for border security to reduce illegal immigration

·        Co-authored successful property tax relief and appraisal reform legislation

·        Removed unfunded mandates on the public education system and helped pass new accountability standards for Texas school