Solving our nation's healthcare challenges

Republican Reforms to Lower Health Care Costs, Provide Better Care and Protect Jobs

Americans want a step-by-step, common-sense approach to health care reform. Republicans promote health care reforms that focus on lowering health care premiums for families and small businesses, increasing access to affordable, high-quality care, and promoting healthier lifestyles – without adding to the crushing debt Washington has placed on our children and grandchildren. 

Following are the key elements of the Republican alternative offered during the debate on ObamaCare. This is not an exhaustive list of all health reform proposals.

• Lowering health care premiums. GOP proposals will lower health care premiums for American families and small businesses, addressing Americans’ number-one priority for health care reform. Lower premiums—CBO has estimated previous proposals to lower premiums up to 10% for coverage through small businesses, 8% in the individual market, and 3% in the large employer group—are a result of financing state-based reforms that lower premiums, ending junk lawsuits, and increasing competition and access to insurance products for small businesses and individuals.
• Establishing Universal Access Programs to guarantee access to affordable care for those with pre-existing conditions. GOP proposals create Universal Access Programs that expand and reform high-risk pools and reinsurance programs to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of pre-existing conditions or past illnesses, have access to affordable care – while lowering costs for all Americans.
• Ending junk lawsuits. GOP proposals help end costly junk lawsuits and curb defensive medicine by enacting medical liability reforms.
• Prevents insurers from unjustly cancelling a policy or instituting lifetime spending caps. GOP proposals prohibit an insurer from cancelling a policy unless a person commits fraud or conceals material facts about a health condition. GOP proposals also make it illegal for an insurance company to deny coverage to someone with prior coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition. The proposals also prohibit insurance plans from instituting lifetime spending limits.
• Encouraging Small Business Health Plans. GOP proposals give small businesses the power to pool together and offer health care at lower prices, just as corporations and labor unions do.
• Encouraging innovative state programs. GOP proposals reward innovation by providing incentive payments to states that reduce premiums and the number of uninsured.
• Allowing Americans to buy insurance across state lines. GOP proposals allow Americans to shop for coverage from coast to coast by allowing Americans living in one state to purchase insurance in another.
• Promoting healthier lifestyles. GOP proposals promote prevention & wellness by giving employers greater flexibility to financially reward employees who adopt healthier lifestyles.
• Enhancing Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). GOP proposals create new incentives to save for future and long-term care needs by allowing qualified participants to use HSAs to pay premiums.

For a PDF version, click here. 

Provided by the office of the Majority Leader. 

Legislation I support: 

I am a proud cosponsor of the Empowering Patients First Act (H.R. 2300), introduced by Rep. Tom Price, which would permanently repeal President Obama’s health care law and replace it with patient-centered solutions. For more information on H.R. 2300, click here. 

I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 3121, the American Health Care Reform Act, a pragmatic, practical, and portable free-market alternative to the current health care system.  Specifically, the bill repeals ObamaCare, allows Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines and businesses to pool, expands health savings accounts, and institutes other meaningful reforms that reduces the cost of health care. For more information on H.R. 3121, click here. 

What has already been done regarding Obamacare since I've been in office:

House Republicans have tackled Obamacare on all fronts and share the same end goal: full repeal. Below is a compilation of floor actions to fight Obamacare.

• To date, three programs have been completely halted. The 1099 tax reporting requirement, free choice vouchers, and unworkable Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program were repealed by Congress and signed into law.
• Eight Obamacare provisions have been repealed / have had funding rescinded and signed into law:
  • Repealed onerous 1099 tax reporting requirement imposed on small businesses
  • Reduced improper Exchange subsidy overpayments
  • Repealed Free-Choice Vouchers
  • Reduced funding for the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP)
  • Reduced funding for the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) rationing board,
  • Reduced funding for the Prevention and Public Health “slush” Fund
  • Reduced a Medicaid formula drafting error included in the “Louisiana Purchase”
  • Repealed the CLASS Act Program
• The Administration officially delayed three key provisions until 2015: the employer mandate, out-of-pocket caps, and income verification provisions.
• 37 Floor votes have been taken to repeal, defund, or dismantle the law.
• Republicans won't stop there; we will continue to pursue strategic opportunities to do oversight and get other de-funding and repeal bills to President Obama's desk.

Floor Action

January 19, 2011 – House repealed Obamacare in its entirety. (H.R. 2)

February 19, 2011 –House passed the FY2011 continuing appropriations bill including several substantial bipartisan amendments that would severely limit the implementation of Obamacare.(H.R. 1)

• The Rehberg Amendment #575: Prohibited funding for any employee, officer, contractor or grantee of any department or agency funded under Labor & HHS to implement the health care provisions of Obamacare.
• The King Amendment #267: Provided that no funds in this Act may be may be used to implement Obamacare.
• The King Amendment #268: Prohibited funding for the pay of officials who implement Obamacare.  
• The Emerson Amendment #83:  Prohibited funding by the IRS to implement or enforce provisions on Obamacare related to the reporting of health insurance coverage.
• The Price Amendment #409: Prohibited funding for implementing the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) provision.
• The Burgess Amendment #200: Prohibited funding at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO).
• The Pitts Amendment #430: Prohibited funding for actions to specify or define, through regulations, guidelines, or otherwise, essential benefits as required in Obamacare.
• The Gardner Amendment #79: Prohibited funding for implementing Exchanges.
• The Hayworth Amendment #567: Prohibited funding for implementing IPAB.

March 3, 2011 – House repealed (signed into law) 1099 reporting requirements that placed a financial burden on small businesses and independent contractors. (H.R. 4)

April 13, 2011 – House repealed the Prevention and Public Health “slush” Fund that was riddled with wasteful, unaccountable spending. (H.R. 1217)

April 14, 2011 – House repealed (signed into law) “Free Choice Voucher” program, reduced funding for the CO-OP by $2.2 billion, provided new tools to fight implementation and ensured no increase in IRS funding to hire additional agents to enforce the individual mandate as part of the FY2011 continuing appropriations bill. (H.R. 1473) 

April 14, 2011 – House directed the Senate to take a vote defunding all mandatory and discretionary spending in Obamacare. (H.Con.Res.35)

April 15, 2011 – House passed FY2012 budget which repeals and defunds Obamacare. (H.Con.Res.34)

May 3, 2011 – House eliminated ability for Secretary of Health and Human Services to have an unlimited tap on the U.S. Treasury related to government mandated health insurance exchanges. (H.R. 1213)

May 4, 2011 – House repealed provision that required $200 million of mandatory “slush" fund spending solely for construction for School-Based Health Centers. (H.R. 1214)

May 24, 2011 – House converted $230 million in mandatory spending for graduate medical education programs to discretionary spending, allowing teaching health centers to receive funding through the regular appropriations process with Congressional oversight. (H.R. 1216)

August 1, 2011 – House passed (signed into law) the Budget Control Act of 2011 that allowed another mechanism to cut Obamacare mandatory and discretionary spending. (S. 365)

October 13, 2011 – House passed the Protect Life Act that prevents funds in Obamacare (including tax credits) from being used to pay for abortion or abortion coverage and codifies conscience protections. (H.R. 358)

November, 16 2011 – House required (signed into law) certain benefits to be included in the calculation of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) for purposes of determining eligibility for certain health care programs under Obamacare. (H.R. 674)

December 13, 2011 – House passed the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act that extended “doc fix” through Obamacare subsidy recapture and reductions to the Prevention and Public Health “slush” Fund, among other provisions. (H.R. 3630)

December 16, 2011 – House rescinded (signed into law) $400 million from Obamacare CO-OPs and $10 million in funds for IPAB (rationing board) in the FY2012 appropriations bill. The bill also reduced IRS funding by $305 million from FY2011 levels. (H.R. 2055)

February 1, 2012 – House repealed the CLASS Act, a microcosm for the problems in Obamacare (budget gimmick, insolvent, done behind closed doors and rushed into law, massive new unsustainable entitlement), which was used to disguise the short-term costs of the broader bill. (H.R. 1173)

February 17, 2012 – House passed (signed into law) the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act that returned a total of $11.6 billion from Obamacare including $5 billion in cuts to the Prevention & Public Health “slush” Fund and recouping $2.5 billion excess Medicaid funding via the “Louisiana Purchase”. (H.R. 3630)

March 22, 2012 – House repealed IPAB, a panel of 15 unelected and unaccountable government bureaucrats tasked with reducing Medicare costs through arbitrary cuts to providers, limiting access to care for seniors. (H.R. 5)

March 29, 2012 – House passed FY2013 budget which repeals and defunds Obamacare, ensuring that not a penny is spent on the government takeover of health care. (H.Con.Res.112)

April 27, 2012 – House prevented interest rate increases for certain student loans, offset by repealing the Obamacare Prevention and Public Health “slush” Fund. (H.R. 4628)

May 10, 2012 – House replaced harmful discretionary sequester cuts to our military and defense capabilities by defunding and repealing several Obamacare provisions including Medicaid Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirements, among other provisions. (H.R. 5652)

June 7, 2012 – House repealed the medical device tax, limitations on reimbursement of the over-the-counter medications from tax-advantaged accounts for health care and the Exchange subsidy overpayments. (H.R. 436)

June 29, 2012 – House further reduced (signed into law) a Medicaid formula drafting error included in Obamacare’s “Louisiana Purchase” provision, clawing back $670 million as part of the Highway Conference bill. (H.R. 4348)

July 11, 2012 – House repealed Obamacare in its entirety in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to uphold the vast majority of the law.

December 20, 2012 – House replaced, for the second time, discretionary sequester cuts by defunding and repealing several Obamacare provisions including MOE requirements, among other provisions. (H.R. 6684)

January 1, 2013 – House passed (signed into law) the fiscal cliff deal which repealed the CLASS Act and rescinded all unobligated CO-OP funds saving $2.3 billion, among other provisions. (H.R. 8)

March 21, 2013 – House passed FY2014 budget which repeals and defunds Obamacare. (H.Con.Res.25)

May 16, 2013 – House repealed Obamacare in its entirety as a stand alone bill. (H.R. 45)

July 17, 2013 – The House passed a one year delay to the employer and individual mandates (H.R. 2667 and H.R. 2668)

August 2, 2013 – House passed the “Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act,” which prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury, or any delegate of the Secretary, from implementing or enforcing any provisions of or amendments to Obamacare. (H.R. 2009)

What can be done? House Republicans will continue to dismantle Obamacare through more votes and hearings in the House. We will do whatever we can to ensure this law is never fully implemented. Obamacare must be repealed and replaced with common-sense reforms that lower health care costs.