GOP Doctors Caucus Examines Healthcare Legislation

The 13 members of the GOP Doctors Caucus held a hearing today to talk about all aspects of the healthcare proposals.
Each member of the caucus is a member of Congress with backgrounds in healthcare profession.
This hearing was the first and only open hearing on the House and Senate healthcare bills. Democrats such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were invited in hopes of coming to a negotiation on the two healthcare bills, but some declined and others did not respond.
Congressman Tim Murphy, who co-chairs the caucus, says they invited people with diverse opinions and they certainly received them.
For example, Murphy says Dr. Chris Hughes, the Pennsylvania Director of Doctors for America, testified that he thought the House and Senate bills are fine and a government-run plan is needed to provide coverage for more people.
Murphy says on the other hand, another doctor felt that the bills do not include cost-saving programs such as care management for chronic illness.
Murphy says the next step is to hold more hearings like this one, to hear from more people in different areas of expertise. He says the doctors caucus would certainly like to sit down with Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi to find a common ground for a healthcare legislation.
He says after Tuesday’s election in Massachusetts, it is apparent that this isn’t just a divided House, the nation also wants Congress to come together on this to find a solution. He says he doesn’t think the Senate nor the House version will be the solution because the American public has simply said they do not want them.