Mica on Health Care Reform

I strongly believe that health care reform is vital and necessary for our nation.  I do not believe expanding the role of government will reduce costs and improve care for all Americans.  I voted for a repeal of Obamacare because, as it is implemented, this act will increase regulations and raise the cost of health care for the average American.  It is estimated that Americans will be face an average health care premium increase of $2,400.  The phase in over the next five years will only erode an already weak economy with $500 billion in new taxes, and increase an overburdened deficit with $1 trillion in new government spending.  The recent vote serves only as the beginning of shifting away from the burden of big government and big insurance making our health care decisions and returning personal responsibility to our health care decisions.  While I understand there are several provisions in the current health care law that will assist some Americans, I believe we can do better.
Following the vote to repeal the PPACA, the House of Representatives passed with my support a resolution instructing committees to provide better solutions.

The following guiding principles for reform must be included in all health care reform proposals are: (1) increase the number of insured Americans; (2) ensure those with pre-existing conditions have access to affordable health coverage; (3) create more jobs and greater economic growth by not placing needless regulatory burdens to improve coverage; (4) allow individuals maximum choice and lower health care premiums which only increased competition provides; (5) maintain a person’s right to choose by not allowing the government to force individuals away from plans they like and prefer to keep; (6) reform the medical liability system to reduce unnecessary and wasteful health care spending; (7) keep the government out of patients sick beds by protecting the doctor-patient relationship; (8) provide the States greater flexibility to administer Medicaid programs; (9) expand incentives to encourage personal responsibility for health care coverage and costs; (10) maintain the 30 year Federal policy that prohibits taxpayer funding of abortions and provide conscience protections for health care providers; (11) eliminate duplicative government programs and wasteful spending; (12) do not accelerate the insolvency of entitlement programs or increase the tax burden on Americans; and (13) provide a permanent fix to the Medicare physician payment formula in legislation.

By following these principles and returning health care decision making to the American people, we can increase both access and affordability to the best health care in the world.

You may also be interested to know, in April, the House and Senate passed a repeal of the 1099 reporting provision from the Obamacare law, which was then signed by President Obama.  This law corrected an unnecessary burden on small businesses; increasing overhead expenses during the current difficult economic climate.  This is just a small step for reducing the burden of government expansion that continues to hamper business and revitalization of the economy.