Health Care Freedom Act gains momentum

As the Obama Administration and the Washington D.C. forces pushing changes to American health care seek new alternatives in the wake of Scott Brown's game-changing victory in Massachusetts, one pathway to health care reform continues to gain momentum: the Health Care Freedom Act, modeled after the Arizona ballot initiative of the same name.

The Act, written in 2006 by Phoenix orthopedic surgeon Dr. Eric Novack, chairman of Arizonans for Health Care Freedom, has already qualified for the 2010 ballot in Novack's home state. And in recent days, Colorado became the 32nd state to see a grassroots effort form behind a constitutional amendment to protect citizens' health care options.

The Arizona Health Care Freedom Act constitutionally protects two fundamental rights:

• The right to spend your own money to seek out and receive health care services that are legal.
• The right to choose NOT to participate in any health care system, of any type.

"All of us, no matter the party, no matter the state, agree that we need health care reform," says Novack. "We believe the only path to true reform is to guarantee patients a voice in the conversation between Capitol Hill insiders and Big Insurance lobbyists. If we act to put patients' rights front and center, then we can't be ignored. And that's when real reform can begin."

Through the efforts of the U.S. Health Care Freedom Coalition and Arizonans for Health Care Freedom, the Health Care Freedom Act has become a rallying point for Americans determined to reform health care without compromising citizens' rights.

"I've been a doctor for 23 years. I'm proud to be part of the greatest health care system in the world," says Novack. "My goal is reduce pain and suffering – and patients and doctors will suffer if the federal government steals control of our health care decisions."

The full text of the Health Care Freedom Act is available for download at: http://azhealthcarefreedomact.com/PDF/hcr2014h.pdf