Rice Pushes Health Care Issues

No one issue defines the difference between the state’s candidates for U.S. Senator this year more than how they approach the current health care crisis.

U.S. Sen. Inhofe, 73, has long been part of a federal legislative system that rewards insurance companies and health management organizations at the expense of ordinary Americans. Millions of Americans lack health insurance. Those Americans who have insurance face skyrocketing premiums, increased costs of co-payments and issues like “pre-existing” conditions. People often go without health care to pay other bills. Inhofe has sanctioned the current health care crisis with his votes, his lack of interest and Republican ideology.

State Sen. Andrew Rice, 35, the Democrat running against Inhofe, has proven he believes in a better health care system for Americans. We have seen this in his sponsorship and support of bills to require insurance companies to cover routine medial care for those undergoing clinical trials and medical costs associated with autism. We also know he has promised in his campaign repeatedly to use his position as U.S. Senator to work for an overall better health care system for Americans.

“"Every family, every child and every veteran should have access to the same health care options that taxpayers make available to members of Congress," Rice said recently. This is one of the great moral issues of our time."

It is hard to conceive of a person or voter—besides a very radical fringe of our culture—who truly does not see the current health care crisis as a moral issue. Certainly, there is room to argue over the exact approach to solving the health care crisis, but can any rational person believe the insurance companies will voluntary accept lower profits to help people? Our broken system calls for government intervention. The government intervenes if someone kills or physically hurts another person. This same intervention should apply to our health system. Even an increasing number of doctors in this country—some claim a clear majority—now believe we should have some type of universal health care program.

"Health insurance companies decline coverage for what they call 'pre-existing conditions,' and they retroactively deny treatment that has been 'pre-approved' to stick patients and doctors with the bill for treatment they had been told would be covered," Rice said. "In addition to providing all Oklahomans health insurance, I will stand up against insurance companies to ensure we have a Patient's Bill of Rights."

Inhofe, meanwhile, has consistently sided with insurance companies over ordinary Americans. He has voted 17 times against Medicare since 1995, according to Rice in earlier statement. Rice has also pointed out the Senator has accepted $342,166 in campaign donations from the insurance industry as well.

Most of those Oklahomans who support Inhofe in his reelection bid literally do so at the risk of their own health and the health of their children and grandchildren.