Strengthening the health-care bill

Column by Mark Warner

Saturday evening, my Senate colleagues and I were given an opportunity to take the next step in fixing our nation’s health-care system.

I voted in favor of bringing the health-care reform bill to the Senate floor because I want an opportunity to work on strengthening and improving the legislation.

If we do not work toward real health-care reform, families will face rising premiums, employers will remain at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace, and federal budget deficits will go from bad to worse.

Thus far, only those senators on the Health and Finance committees have had an opportunity to shape this legislation. Now that the bill is on the floor, the rest of us in the Senate will have an opportunity to play a constructive role in making this legislation better.

I am focused on bending the cost curve and delivery-system reform. For weeks now, I have been working with several of my colleagues on a series of potential floor amendments that we believe will further reduce the cost of health care, strengthen transparency and encourage innovation to fix the way we pay for health care.

Saturday’s vote was only a starting point that allows us to continue working to include these amendments in the final legislation. I will only support a final bill if I am convinced it will lower the deficit, drive down health-care costs over the long term, and improve the value and quality of the health care Virginians receive.

In the coming weeks, I look forward to hearing from you on how we can strengthen this bill, so we can bring meaningful reform to our health-care system.

Mark Warner represents Virginia in the United States Senate.