Vitter’s View: Strengthening Louisiana’s health care system

As we continue to rebuild fromÜthe tragedy of Hurricanes Katrina and RitaÜwe have decisions to make about how our health care delivery system should be rebuilt n and we have an opportunityÜto enact real change andÜpositiveÜreforms.Ü

Recently, I wrote a letter to both Gov.ÜKathleenÜBlanco and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentÜAlphonsoÜJackson urging them to ensure that federal hurricane relief funds for Louisiana health care be used in a way that supportsÜreform and patient choice.

Health care money should go to people, not buildings or institutions. Specifically, federal dollars and state funds should not flow solely into public hospitals like Charity but should follow the patientÜto a variety of health care settingsÜto provide real choice.

In doing so, all Louisiana citizensnincluding our poornshould be guaranteed access, quality and choice in health care services.

On Jan. 19, the Joint Budget Committee of the Louisiana Legislature voted to spend $300 million in federal hurricane relief funds to build a new, large Charity Hospital in New Orleans even though it is contrary to the recommendations of the Louisiana Recovery Authority.ÜÜ

If this plan goes into motionÜwithout a sound business plan, it will kill the prospects for fundamental health care reform in Louisiana.

As our medical and health care community continues to rebuild,Üwe have a choice ofÜreinstatingÜthe oldÜtwo-tieredÜsystem ofÜcare where care for the poor is segregated or enablingÜpatientsÜto seek the best care available at a wide variety ofÜsettings.Ü

I support that type of bold reformÜbecauseÜwe must ensure that the outdatedÜand flawedÜCharity system is reformed to meet the demands of the 21st Century.ÜWeÜshould carefully chart a new direction n a new, reformed, and improved system where the money follows the patient and all patients are offered access, quality, and choice.

I am interested in hearing your thoughts onÜproviding access to health care for Louisiana citizensÜor any other issues.ÜPlease contact me with your ideas at any of my state offices or in my Washington office by mail at U.S. Sen. David Vitter, U.S. Senate, 516 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510, or by phone at 202-224-4623.

You can also reach me on the web at http://vitter.senate.gov.

David Vitter serves Louisiana in the United States Senate.