The issue of healthcare plays an ever-increasing role in the lives of every single American. As a physician for over 25 years I’ve seen all sides of the debate through the eyes of a physician as well as those of thousands of my patients.

Of utmost importance to me is the doctor-patient relationship and over the years this relationship has been strained by government and by insurance companies. Healthcare decisions must be made in the best interest of the patient, not based on whether or not your insurance provider will cover a procedure.

Health Savings Accounts are beginning to make health insurance affordable again. In essence, an employee is now able to contribute tax-free dollars to an account that they can then use to pay for medical procedures. This is something that has long been overlooked in the medical community and this initiative is long overdue.

To put patients back in charge of their health care decisions I’ve introduced the "Health Insurance Patient Ownership Plan" to restore patient choice to the healthcare process. Patients are the ones who should be making their decisions – not insurance companies. Under this plan patients would be able to choose what procedures they want covered under their health insurance and be able to take this plan with them as the move from employer to employer.