With the remarkable and unprecedented level of spending in Washington, Americans are right to be concerned. The reckless budget put forth by the president has red ink as far as the eye can see. And according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, his government-centered health plan would further add to the burden Washington is placing on future generations.

While the president has said we must “bend the cost curve,” the CBO director has found that this proposal would bend it the wrong way, actually growing our long-term deficit and spending on health care.

Americans are also right, however, when they say we need positive health reform. Rising costs, shrinking access and third-party decision making are driving patients away from their doctors and the care they seek. Fortunately, there is a fiscally responsible way to fix our health system. We can bring patients closer to quality, affordable care without huge new tax burdens and cuts to seniors on Medicare.

Before the August recess, we introduced H.R. 3400, the Empowering Patients First Act. Our proposal is a patient-centered solution that will ensure every American has the financial means to purchase care and puts medical decisions in the hands of patients and their doctors, not Washington or insurance bureaucrats. Through tax credits, deductions, and the use of pre-tax dollars to purchase health care, our proposal makes it so there is no financial reason to go without coverage. It also gives ownership of health care decisions where it belongs: with patients. Regardless of who is paying the bill, patients would choose, own, and control their coverage. This will bring down the costs associated with the ill-advised one-size-fits-all model the president seeks to expand.

What’s more, it won’t break the bank. Our solution doesn’t raise taxes by one penny and is paid for by restraining spending, ferreting out waste, and reducing frivolous lawsuits. By making health care a priority in our budget, rather than growing government, we can ensure greater access to coverage without placing an undue burden on our children and grandchildren.

Yet the real question is not how much health care reform costs, but rather how it’s done. We can spend all the money in the world, but we won’t see positive, fiscally responsible results unless it’s done in a patient-centered manner. When we put patients in charge, we will see costs contained and ensure America continues to provide the highest quality care in the world.

About Rep. Tom Price -- A member of the House Republican leadership, Price is chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of House lawmakers who seek to ensure legislation adheres to GOP values.