Tim James’ Healthy Alabama Plan…
“Alabama has some of the best and brightest medical minds in the world. This great resource, and not the federal government, will enable us to develop cutting-edge solutions, and craft a unique, efficient state health care system that contains costs, serves people, and makes Alabama a national leader in health care.” says Tim James.
HUNTSVILLE – March 9, 2010 - Tim James, Republican candidate for Governor of Alabama, on Tuesday proposed his Get Healthy Alabama plan during a Huntsville news conference. Get Healthy Alabama is a common sense proposal for ensuring Alabama‘s public health programs are cost effective, innovative, and serve those who rely on the programs.
James also named Dr. Carl Gessler, cardiologist at the Huntsville Heart Center, to chair the campaign’s Health Care Advisory Committee.
“The State of Alabama is responsible for the health care of nearly one-third of Alabamians, which is a major factor driving up the cost of state government,” James said. “My Get Healthy Alabama plan addresses the critical need for all people, especially children, to adopt better habits for staying healthy to reduce health care costs and increase quality of life.”
Gessler has begun to recruit the best and brightest from Alabama’s medical community to advise James on health care issues and maximizing the state’s bioresearch resources to move forward in conquering disease while positioning Alabama as a leader in health care research.
“Tim James knows and understands he doesn’t have the answers to Alabama’s health care needs, but he’s wise enough to build a team of health care professionals to help move Alabama forward,” Gessler said.
James outlined a number of health care reforms to drive down the state’s share of health insurance and Medicaid costs that now approach $2 billion, including:
- Health Care Savings Accounts – Introduce health care savings accounts to state workers and teachers as an option to current plans now offered. This will provide people incentives to utilize health services more strategically, putting the decision-making with patients, not insurance companies.
- Incentives for Healthy Living – Offer smoking cessation treatment, exercise classes, nutrition instruction to those enrolled in state-funded health care plans.
- Greater Flexibility in Medicaid Plans – Shift Medicaid from a one-size-fits-all plan of 40 years ago to different levels of care to fit the needs of the 700,000 Alabamians served by the federal-state health care program for low income families.
- Limit Medicaid Prescriptions – Move from unlimited prescriptions for Medicaid patients to five per month, saving the State of Alabama millions in taxpayer dollars.
- Emergency Rooms for Emergencies Only – Restrict emergency rooms for medical emergencies for those enrolled in state-funded health care programs, saving taxpayers millions and taking an unnecessary burden off of hospital ERs. Clinics can accommodate the non-emergent care patients, and at a much lower cost.
- Statewide Health Awareness – Bring Get Healthy Alabama’s message to schools, communities and families statewide in a comprehensive communications program utilizing all media, including the Internet.
About Dr. Carl Gessler of Huntsville
Dr. Gessler is a graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. His fellowship, in Cardiovascular Disease, was completed at Barnes Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He specializes in transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiology as well as cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular ultrasound. He is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease.
Dr. Gessler is also a member of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees. He is a fellow of the American college of Cardiology, as well as a member of the American Society of Echocardiology, the Alabama Medical Association, and the Madison County Medical Society.
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