Dr. Bob's #1 policy is to create a publicly financed non-profit, national health insurance program to fully cover all medical costs for every American citizen. His campaign is also one of the only Congressional campaigns in the Nation to embark upon the transformative journey to wipe out America's medical debt.
No one should have to fend off debt collectors when they're battling cancer. Bob has made it his life’s mission to serve low income patients, because he believes sick and vulnerable people need to receive medicine, not collection notices.
Bob believes healthcare — including dental, optical, mental health, reproductive, and palliative care — should be a fundamental human right. Dr. Bob seeks to wipe out all medical debt in the US, starting with collections to cancer patients. He has already passed a resolution with the Michigan Democratic Party to make it a priority. Next stop: Congress.
The United States is the most developed nation in the world, yet we are one of a few top 50 countries where citizens face significant financial limitations in accessing quality care.
Dr. Bob will lead Congress to pass Medicare for All.
Bob Lorinser believes all people must have access to the health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. Dr. Bob will champion initiatives that provide United States citizens the full range of essential health services they deserve – from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, mental health, and palliative care.
Lorinser says the expansion of healthcare initiatives must include the following:
Accessibility to high-quality health services
Receiving necessary health services without suffering financial hardship
A robust and skilled healthcare workforce
Strong, people-centered primary healthcare
Care rooted in the local community, including rural accessibility.
A focus not only on preventing and treating disease and illness but also on wellness and quality of life
Full-spectrum of essential, quality health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care across the life course.
Equal treatment for all health issues, including behavioral health issues (Substance use disorders, mental illness, etc.)
Protecting people from the financial consequences of paying out-of-pocket for health services reduces the risk of poverty due to unexpected illness. Often, hospitalization and essential life-saving medicine require citizens to use their life savings, sell assets, or borrow – destroying their futures and sometimes burdening their children with massive amounts of debt.
Is it socialized medicine?
No. Critics often mention "socialized medicine" in conversations about universal coverage, but Dr. Bob believes US citizens must recognize the difference. In a socialized medicine system, the government pays for healthcare, operates hospitals, and employs medical staff.
Veterans Affairs (VA) is the closest we have in the US, and the VA is unique.
"Do I think the government should direct all medical care? Absolutely not." – Dr. Bob Lorinser
Dr. Bob Lorinser supports
The VA
The total expansion of Medicare and Medicaid
Privately operated employer-directed medical care facilities like the Mayo Clinics or Cleveland Clinics
Dr. Lorinser says that in the next 30 years, healthcare may exceed 30% of the GDP. He believes the United States must do something to address medical costs and that healthcare and education should be two essential services affordable to all payers.
Why is Dr. Lorinser so passionate about healthcare?
Bob Lorinser has been on the frontlines trying to fix a broken healthcare system for 40 years. Dr. Lorinser has three advanced medical, social work, and public health administration degrees. He worked as a social worker in a VA hospital and a physician for the American Indian Health Service in the Navajo Nation. Dr. Lorinser then spent 30 years practicing and teaching family medicine in Marquette before the hospital's for-profit sale.
Dr. Lorinser has served low-income families, children needing behavioral health services, and patients suffering from substance abuse, alcoholism, and addiction. Administratively, Dr. Bob also worked to help Upper Peninsula citizens access Medicaid and Medicare for essential care.
After three decades in family medicine and as a hospitalist, Dr. Bob served nearly 10 years as a regional medical director in the United States State Department. Stationed in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Korea, North Africa, and Iraq, Dr. Bob oversaw American service members' diplomatic and administrative medical needs across millions of square miles in dozens of countries.
Dr. Lorinser returned to Northern Michigan and continued his service as the medical director of the Marquette County Health Department to help citizens stay safe and healthy during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I am passionate about being a leader in Congress to make this happen," says Dr. Bob. "Nothing is free, and there are multiple ways of achieving universal coverage, so we need to explore all avenues. I support many plans to address this issue and move our country forward. No one should suffer because of their ability to pay for medical care."
Healthcare is the number one issue facing all Americans. We need an experienced family doctor in the House to move the nation forward.