State Representatives Barbara Sears (R-Sylvania) and Ron Maag (R-Lebanon) today introduced legislation to preserve the freedom of Ohioans to make their own health care decisions. House Joint Resolution 3, known as the Ohio Health Care Freedom Act, would propose an amendment to Ohio’s Constitution to prohibit any Ohio law or rule from forcing any person, employer, or health care provider to participate in a health care system.
“This is important legislation because it demands that the patient be the center of health care reform,” Sears said. “The further you remove decision-making from the patient, the further the individual patient is from the center. The center instead becomes groups, averages, norms, and benchmarks.”
“Democrats across the country are addressing the health care crisis with a government power grab,” Maag said. “I believe we must protect the fundamental rights of citizens by ensuring that they are not subject to a ‘one-size-fits-all’ bureaucratic government takeover. Our citizens deserve to have the options available to make appropriate assessments as it relates to their own doctors, treatments, and health care. This legislation would ensure that we, here in Ohio, do not enact a universal plan without the will of the people.”
If passed, the Ohio Health Care Freedom Act would appear as a ballot issue in February 2010. Ohio joins seven other states (Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming) across the nation who have also introduced legislation with similar language.
“Over the years, a number of proposals have been introduced here in Ohio that would implement and require single health care system,” said Maag. “The individual freedom of people to make their own health care decisions is essential to their well-being and with the enactment of the Ohio Health Care Freedom Act in the Ohio Constitution, the right of every person to make lawful decisions about their own health care shall not be infringed.”
Here is how you can help -- Currently, House Joint Resolution 3 (Click here to read) is languishing in the House Insurance Committee. In order for anything to happen, there needs to be two (2) more public readings of HJR3, it must successfully pass out of Committee and then it can be brought to the House floor.
We need to contact the offices of the OH House members on the Insurance Committee where it appears HJR3 may be purposely being stalled by Rep. Dan Dodd, Chairman of the House Insurance Committee. We are asking the OH House Insurance Committee members to support HJR3 and that it be immediately scheduled for the required readings.
Chairman for Insurance Committee:
Representative Dan Dodd
Phone: 614-466-2500
Email : District91@ohr.state.oh.us
Vice Chair:
Rep Tom Letson
Phone: 614-466-5358
Email: District64@ohr.state.oh.us
Majority Members:
· Rep John Carney
Phone: 614-466-2473
Email: District22@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep Stephan Dyer
Phone: 614-466-1790
Email: District43@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep Sandra Harwood
Phone: 614-466-3488
Email: District65@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep Tracy Heard
Phone: 614-466-8010
Email: District26@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep Joe Kozuira
Phone: 614-466-5141
Email: District56@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep Debbie Phillips
Phone: 614-466-2158
Email: District92@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep Mark Schneider
Phone: 614-466-6074
Email: District63@ohr.state.oh.us
Committee Ranking Member:
Representative Jay Hottinger
Phone: 614-466-1482
Email: District71@ohr.state.oh.us
Minority Members:
· Rep John Adams
Phone: 614-466-1507
Email: District78@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep David Daniels
Phone: 614-466-3508
Email: District86@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep Robert Hackett
Phone: 614-466-1470
Email: District84@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep Richard Hollinger
Phone: 614-466-5088
Email: District98@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep Kris Jordan
Phone: 614-466-6711
Email: District02@ohr.state.oh.us
· Rep Ross McGregor
Phone: 614-466-2038
Email: District72@ohr.state.oh.us
· Lynn Wachtmann
Phone: 614-466-3760
Email: District75@ohr.state.oh.us
