Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) issued the following statement after the Census Bureau released a report detailing new data on the uninsured.

“This data is yet another reminder of the need for patient-centered health care reform,” said Congressman Price. “For the majority of Americans who obtain health insurance through their place of work, unemployment hits hard by taking away their insurance, as well. For those who struggle to find insurance on their own, too many barriers to an open market exist. For every American, health care costs are too high.

“This is tragic, yet preventable. Increasing bureaucratic interference with government-run health care, however, is not the answer. The solution lies in making insurance coverage truly owned and controlled by patients rather than third-parties. Individually owned and controlled coverage is just one of the many patient-centered proposals included in the Empowering Patients First Act, the Republican Study Committee’s solution for health care reform.”

NOTE: The Republican Study Committee has introduced H.R. 3400, the Empowering Patients First Act. H.R. 3400 would: 1) make access to coverage affordable for all Americans; 2) make coverage truly owned and controlled by the patient; 3) improve the health care delivery structure; and 4) rein in out-of-control costs, including robust liability reform.