This week marks the six month anniversary of passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, sweeping legislation which will dramatically change our nation’s healthcare system. Enactment of the measure brought with it a great deal of controversy with lawmakers and concerned citizens from across the country voicing concerns over the impact the bill would have on both the cost and the quality of care Americans receive. This occasion provides an excellent opportunity to review the impact this measure has had, and will have, on our nation’s healthcare system as well as steps we can take to improve it.
I opposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act when it was passed by Congress for a number of reasons. My main concerns were over the impact the bill would have on the quality and cost of healthcare available to Americans; how it will affect small businesses owners and also the impact this package will have on the national debt. Under this new law, businesses with more than 50 employees who do not offer coverage will face a $2,000 tax penalty per employee. In addition, the measure will cost taxpayers $940 billion and includes $569 billion in tax increases. It also cuts $523 billion from Medicare and $132 billion from Medicare Advantage over the next 10 years.
While several of the provisions in the new law will not take effect for several years, the impact of the measure can already be seen. Premiums for many plans have already risen and several health insurance companies have scaled back some of their coverage to avoid having to comply with some of the new mandates. For example, it was recently reported that a number of major insurance companies have decided to stop offering new child-only insurance plans, rather than comply with rules that will require such plans to start accepting children with preexisting medical conditions after September 23. While I support eliminating pre-existing conditions, this is an example of how this flawed and rushed law has impacted coverage.
Regrettably, the Obama Administration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid have failed to follow up with oversight and congressional hearings on implementation and the impact of this new law. After enacting one of the most sweeping reform bills to pass Congress in many years, it would appear wise to follow this with aggressive oversight and to monitor the effect implementation has on patients, doctors and insurance coverage. However, this has not been the case and House Committees with jurisdiction over the law, including the Committee on Energy and Commerce on which I serve, have not held a single hearing on the law following its approval by Congress.
While this may seem discouraging, I am hopeful there will be opportunities following this year’s elections to make adjustments and improvements to the law. Repealing the measure altogether could prove challenging, but there may be opportunities to block funding for implementation, alter some of the mandates for individuals and small businesses and create more competition in the insurance market. This will be an important first step to producing a new plan for healthcare reform.
Earlier this year I unveiled “10 Steps to a Healthier America,” a package of healthcare initiatives that will increase access to quality, affordable healthcare without saddling small businesses with unreasonable mandates that will hurt economic growth and job creation. I encourage you to visit my website at whitfield.house.gov to see my roadmap for improving healthcare and expanding coverage to more Americans.
