Health Care

As a father, a husband, and a son, Scott Kleeb knows how important access to quality, affordable, and portable health care is. Today, 47 million Americans - and 200,000 Nebraskans - go without health insurance, while millions of others are under-insured and are one trip to the emergency room away from an economic crisis. Scott believes it is a moral imperative to work together - without political wrangling - to make health care accessible and affordable to all Americans.

QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS

Scott Kleeb believes we have a responsibility to ensure access to first class health care to all Americans without regard to income or illness. Scott will work to transform America’s ailing health care system by following these principles:

Bipartisan approach. Scott Kleeb believes that good ideas come from people, not from parties. That’s why Scott is committed to working across the aisle with anyone who is seriously interested in putting politics aside and fixing our health care crisis.

Parity with Members of Congress. Scott Kleeb believes that health care coverage should be on par with the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program - the health plan Members of Congress receive on the taxpayers’ dime.

Portability. Under our current system, we don’t choose our health care plans; our employers do. And with every change in employment, we are forced into yet another health care program, even if we like the one we have. Scott Kleeb believes that health insurance should be portable so that we can play a greater deciding role in who provides our care.

Prevention. Up to now, the American health care model seemed more interested in managing sickness than investing in wellness. Scott Kleeb will work to change that and will support measures designed to promote wellness and prevention, not merely treating sickness.

Innovation. Medicine has always been on the cutting edge of technology and scientific advances. It has been that type of forward-looking approach that makes medical care in the United States competitive. Scott Kleeb will support and encourage investment in technologies at our hospitals and clinics to ensure that Americans have access to quality care.

Integration. We know that patients get the best and most comprehensive care when primary care physicians and specialists work in an integrated way and share information. Scott Kleeb will ensure that the medical profession has incentives to work together across disciplines to utilize technology and integrate patient information.

Consumer choice. Scott Kleeb believes that consumers deserve real options in coverage and providers so that individual Americans can decide what health care plan works best for them and their families.

Accountability. Just as we are each held accountable at our jobs and to our families, Scott Kleeb believes all participants in the health care system must be held accountable. That is the only way to provide quality care in a cost-effective way.

Public-private partnership. Government and the private sector must work together to build solutions. To drive down costs, Scott Kleeb will work to expand competition and increase transparency in pricing.

Mental health parity. Here in Nebraska, underfunding and mismanagement have led to inadequate coverage and long waits for care. Scott Kleeb is committed to establishing mental health parity and will do all he can to make sure Nebraskans have the mental health coverage they need.

Ending pre-existing condition discrimination. Scott Kleeb knows the hardship that insurance-company discrimination on pre-existing conditions can bring, and will advocate for consumers by working to end discriminatory practices.

Coverage for dental care. Scott Kleeb knows that dental care is a necessary and integral part of overall general health. That’s why Scott will support measures to make sure dental care services are covered by insurance plans.

Cutting red tape and trimming costs. Getting immunizations for your child or getting an x-ray for a hurt limb should not require the amount of paperwork that Americans face every day. In 2006, health care costs accounted for 16% of spending in the U.S. - the highest among industrialized nations. Scott Kleeb will work to cut the red tape Americans get caught in, and will support efforts to trim inefficiencies in the health system to bring down overall costs.

MINIMIZE BURDEN ON SMALL BUSINESS

Rising health care costs put an additional economic burden on small businesses and the self-employed. Of the 47 million uninsured, 20 million work for small businesses or for themselves. With insurance premiums expected to increase by double-digits each year in the near future, small businesses and the self-employed will continue to struggle. Scott Kleeb believes that any reform of our health care system must ensure that small businesses and the self-employed can access affordable coverage, which is why Scott will advocate for:

Small business and self-employed group coverage. Small businesses are the best providers of stable, good paying jobs, yet small businesses struggle between providing employees health care and keeping their doors open. Further, the self-employed, like many family farmers here in Nebraska, are at a negotiating disadvantage when trying to secure coverage. Scott Kleeb will work to reduce this burden by:

Supporting measures allowing small businesses and the self-employed to band together to purchase group coverage.
Supporting measures limiting overall costs to small businesses and the self-employed.
Extending tax breaks to small businesses providing medical coverage to employees.

GIVE KIDS A HEALTHY START

While Nebraska has made many important strides on behalf of kids, 34,000 Nebraskan children are uninsured. Scott Kleeb believes more can and must be done, and will be an advocate for children’s health here in Nebraska and around the country by supporting:

Reauthorization of SCHIP. As Nebraska and other states faced significant shortfalls in funding, Congress twice last year passed the bipartisan State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization, which would have covered 10 million low-income children nationwide. And twice President Bush vetoed the measure. Scott Kleeb is committed to providing kids with the health coverage they need to grow up healthy, which includes expanding SCHIP to allow states to cover pregnant women and provide dental care.

Proven programs benefiting our kids. Scott will advocate for existing programs proven to better kids’ lives, like Head Start and the federal school lunch program.

STRENGTHEN HEALTH CARE IN RURAL AMERICA

Too often, Washington ignores the needs of millions of Americans living in small towns. Yet, rural America faces very real and very specific challenges to accessing quality, affordable health care. Scott Kleeb will be a voice for the health care needs of rural Nebraskans by:

Increasing access to care. All around rural America, health care facilities are financially strapped causing small hospitals to close their doors, leaving many without access to care. Scott Kleeb is committed to strengthening health care in rural America and will support:

Telemedicine technologies that connect rural doctors and patients with specialists and equipment.
Incentives for hospitals to keep their facilities operational.
Transportation services to help rural Americans get care.
Increased funding for community health centers, an important and proven tool for providing health care to rural communities.
Debt assistance to clinics struggling financially because of inadequate funding.
Increased access for mental health care, particularly counselors to address the growing rate of teen suicide.
Increased access to health care professions specializing in substance abuse counseling, especially as related to methamphetamines.

Encouraging innovation in rural medicine. In rural hospitals and clinics in Nebraska, we’ve seen what innovation, integration, and technology means in a patient’s life. Scott Kleeb is committed to working with the rural health care community to foster and facilitate the increased use of innovative practices and the investment in cost-effective, efficient health care initiatives.

Improving trauma care. In serving the agricultural community, rural health professionals routinely treat trauma care patients. Scott Kleeb knows that trauma care preparedness is quite literally the difference between saving a life or limb. That’s why Scott supports initiatives to train and certify rural health professionals and facilities to treat trauma patients.

Recruiting health professionals. More and more, health professionals are leaving small towns for higher paying urban centers, leaving rural Americans with fewer options. Scott Kleeb will encourage young health care professionals to serve rural communities by supporting tuition reimbursement to those who serve more than two years in small town clinics and hospitals.

Increasing parity in reimbursements to rural America. Health care providers in rural America have long received lower reimbursement rates than those in urban areas. This puts rural communities at risk of losing care. Scott Kleeb will work to increase parity in the Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement programs.

Providing gas-payment tax deductions for caregivers. With today’s rising gas prices, caregivers who provide in-home services for the elderly and the sick, especially those in rural areas, are more likely to pass increased cost onto patients or discontinue service all together. Scott Kleeb will support tax deductions for rural caregivers so that our sick, elderly, and rural patients who are already facing financial difficulties don’t have to bear even higher costs.

SECURE AND STRENGTHEN SENIOR HEALTH CARE

Scott Kleeb believes that our seniors deserve quality health care benefits, not the underfunded and burdensome system they struggle with today. In the U.S. Senate, Scott will work to restore our country’s commitment to providing quality and affordable health care for our seniors by:

Making prescription drugs more affordable. At a time of record drug company and insurance company profits, seniors are paying more and receiving less. Scott Kleeb believes our seniors deserve better. To reverse that course, Scott believes we need to explore all available options to reduce prices, such as permitting the federal government to negotiate for lower drug prices for the Medicare program, fixing the so-called “donut hole,” and allowing seniors to purchase safe and effective drugs from Canada.

Trimming waste and inefficiency. In addition to permitting the federal government to negotiate drug prices, a measure that will save the health care system - and seniors - money, Scott Kleeb will cut wasteful spending and streamline the system in ways to make the Medicaid and Medicare programs more affordable and efficient while ensuring that seniors continue to receive top notch health care services.

Making Medicare’s drug program more user friendly. Too frequently, because of inadequate information, seniors enroll in Medicare prescription drug plans that are more expensive than other options. Scott Kleeb will work to bring more transparency to these plans so seniors know their options.

Permanently restoring doctor payments and patient options. While Congress recently overrode a presidential veto to temporarily fix the scheduled 10% cut in Medicare payments to doctors, Scott Kleeb believes we need a permanent solution. According to the American Medical Association, without stopping this scheduled cut, doctors will be forced to turn patients away. Scott Kleeb is committed to permanently fixing this problem so that our seniors continue to receive benefits.

Increasing parity in reimbursements to rural America. For more information, see the Strengthen Health Care in Rural America section above.

Strengthening long-term care options. Scott Kleeb will ensure that assisted-living facilities make good on their promises to our seniors and their families. Further, Scott will fight for tax breaks for those who care for an aging loved one and will work to address the other multi-generational needs of families.

Offering gas-payment tax deductions for caregivers. For more information, see the Strengthen Health Care in Rural America section above.

TOP NOTCH HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA'S HEROES

Scott Kleeb believes that our Veterans have earned the right to receive top notch health care benefits. What our Veterans do not deserve is a crumbling system focused on limiting costs, and mired in red tape and delay. Scott will work to improve our Veterans’ health system so it is efficient, accessible, and comprehensive. To do that, Scott advocates:

Fully funding the VA. While $12 billion per month is spent in Iraq, it is unconscionable for Washington corners by underfunding the Veterans’ Administration and critical Veterans’ health programs. It’s time to make good on our promise to our Vets.

Increasing funding for long-term care facilities. As more of our combat soldiers are returning home with life-altering injuries requiring long-term care, Scott Kleeb believes we must invest more in the facilities that care for and support these Veterans and their families.

Enrolling middle-income Veterans in health care plans. In a shortsighted and unfair cost-saving effort, this Administration blocked thousands of middle-income Veterans from receiving much-needed health benefits through the VA. Scott will work to reverse that ban.

Increasing research and development for prosthetics. Losing a limb is an all too common reality for soldiers. We owe it to these heroes to invest in developing better and more affordable prosthetics.

Increasing research and screening for TBIs. Thousands of servicemen and women are returning from theater with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), a devastating and life-altering condition that requires intensive rehabilitation. Scott applauded Congress for reauthorizing the TBI Act - the only federal law that specifically addresses the needs of those affected by TBIs -but believes more must be done.

Increasing coverage and screening for mental health. Combat soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan most commonly face a diagnosis for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. Scott Kleeb believes we must honor these heroes by:

Acknowledging the problem and properly diagnosing patients.
Improving mental health screening and treatment for combat-related psychological injuries.
Implementing better peer outreach and readjustment counseling for returning combat soldiers and their families.
Recruiting more mental and other health professionals, such as substance abuse counselors, to treat Veterans.
Providing grants to states to serve the mental health and other health care needs of its rural Veterans.

SUPPORT WOMEN'S HEALTH

As a husband and the father of two daughters, Scott Kleeb is committed to ensuring that women’s health issues receive the attention and funding they deserve. Scott will work to:

Increase research, screening, and education for women’s health. Scott Kleeb will support increased funding for diseases and illnesses that target women, including:

Breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer.
Heart disease, the number one cause of death for women.
Post-partum depression.

Support new moms. As a father, Scott Kleeb knows the financial and emotional challenges new moms face. That’s why Scott will support healthy childbearing measures that give kids - and new moms - the health care they need to start a healthy life.

Expand women’s representation in clinical trials. Too often, women are underrepresented in clinical trials. Scott Kleeb will work to ensure proper research and investment for women’s clinical trials.