Boustany among Health Care Summit participants

Seventh District Congressman Charles Boustany Jr., R, was one of the three dozen participants in the Health Care Summit held in Washington, D.C., Thursday.

President Barack Obama presided and was flanked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid.

The Republicans were represented by minority leaders Mitch McConnell from the House and John Boehner from the Senate.

Boustany was one of three Repubican doctors and the only member of the Louisiana delegation invited to the gathering.

The unusual event was held at the Blair House, a famous guest house and residence near the White House.

Boustany outlined Republican solutions to lower healthcare costs by creating more competition and simplifying health insurance.

The Congressman's 10 minute statement during the seven-hour conference proposed that most Americans agree on solutions to lower health costs.

According to Boustany, most Democrats, independents and Republicans do agree on 80 percent of the solution to bring down healthcare costs, but the current Democratic- authored bills’ focus is where citizens disagree.

"We should scrap these bills, like the American people want us to,” Boustany said, “and focus on bringing down health costs.

"As a doctor, I know people want to buy insurance across state lines, pool together to get a better price and limit frivolous lawsuits — all of these will lower costs, and they can be done in a simple way."

Boustany said the Democrat's 2,000-plus page bills complicate healthcare instead of lowering costs when families struggle to make ends meet.

---