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Newberry: Obamacare is Bad for Oklahoma

After President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced his support for a $1.5 trillion Congressional proposal that would make health care a right for all Americans, Sen. Dan Newberry said the plan would compromise the quality of health care, limit consumer choices and lead the country further down a dangerous path toward socialized medicine.

Newberry said it was not the government’s job to compete with small businesses and that health care choices must be left up to the consumer.

“This is a plan that will damage doctor-patient relationships, lead to the rationing of medical care and take us further down the path toward socialized medicine,” said Newberry, R-Tulsa. “Further, nobody seems to have a firm answer as to how this proposal is to be paid for. We all understand the importance of promoting access to quality health care, but this is a proposal that sacrifices both quality and consumer choice for the sake of convenience.”

Newberry noted that numerous real world examples support the argument that a reliance on centrally planned healthcare results in limited access and stagnant technological advancement.

“Allowing the government to mandate when and where citizens can receive medical treatment runs contrary to American ideals,” Newberry said. “If we really want a healthcare system that is affordably priced, superior in quality and technologically advanced, we must allow the free market to work. We must look at health care not as a birthright, but as an enterprise that operates most efficiently for everyone when competition and consumer freedom remain strong.”

Newberry said he supports Senator Tom Coburn’s health care reform proposal. Without adding billions of dollars in new debt or taxes, the proposal promotes universal access to affordable, quality health care.

Contact info
Sen. Newberry: 405-521-5600