President Bush called the Medical College of Wisconsin a representative in \the future of health care here and throughout our country,"" when he addressed a crowd of more than 550, including at least 200 medical students, Monday.
Bush chose MCW, located in Wauwatosa, to introduce his comprehensive health care agenda, and outlined several goals the administration and Congress must work toward in order to maintain the United States' status as having ""the world's greatest health care system.""
Among his primary goals for healthcare reform, Bush emphasized the need to allow Americans to choose their own health-care plan.
""Instead of paying a large premium every month for services you may not use, I believe we ought to have an account that allows a person to pay a much smaller premium for major medical coverage and then put the savings into a health account, tax free,"" he said.
Bush also proposed government aid of up to $1000 for an individual and $3000 for a family for those who do not receive coverage through their jobs.
He also called upon Congress to pass a patients' bill of rights, including banning extra charges for visiting the nearest emergency room and an opportunity for an impartial panel of doctors to review a case that an individual's health plan denies.
""I've given this message to Congress: Please send me a bill that protects all patients, not just a fortunate few,"" he said.
The president also said he wants to make sure the government ""acts where it should"" and provide a strong health care safety net as well as promoting scientific research. But he warned against some types of research, such as using genetic research to ""threaten the dignity of life itself.""
""In biomedical research, we're dealing with the very makings of life'and the law must be firm and clear in restraining the reckless and protecting the voiceless,"" he said.
Gov. Scott McCallum introduced former governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, who then introduced Bush.
McCallum's spokesperson Debbie Monterrey-Millet said the governor also led the president's tour of the facility, and the two met with several others at the institution to speak about some specific research at MCW.
""He talked about that Wisconsin has a lot to be proud of, especially with biotechnology research,"" Monterrey-Millet said regarding McCallum's speech.
Monday's event also signified an important role for the Medical College of Wisconsin, which is the second fastest-growing research institution in the nation, according to Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs Richard Kataschke.
""It's appropriate that he did it [in] an academic medical center,"" Kataschke said. ""Academic medical centers like the UW-Madison and the Medical College of Wisconsin are really the places where new knowledge is created and the future generations of physicians and scientists are trained.""
Bush also attended a fund-raiser for the governor Monday night at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.
