Since President Obama and then-Speaker Pelosi pushed through their health care reform law, the House has voted numerous times to repeal part or all of Obamacare. Some critics of House conservatives have argued that we are wasting time with these votes and should focus on more important issues. What these critics don’t tell you is that the President has signed seven of our repeal bills into law.
The seven repeal bills that the President has signed into law directly repeal or reduce funding from at least eight different Obamacare programs. House conservatives won’t stop there; we will continue to pursue strategic opportunities to get other defunding and repeal bills to President Obama’s desk because if we don’t premium costs will increase 30-50 percent for people in the individual insurance market beginning in 2014.
I am fully committed to repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. House conservatives have tackled Obamacare on all fronts and share the same end goal: full repeal.
I believe we need to fix the broken network of government policies that have made such a mess of health care in America. Badly designed government policies are to blame for much of what is wrong with health care today.
This Congress, House Conservatives have introduced more than 200 health care-related bills, which include patient-centered solutions like:
Making health insurance companies compete nationwide, across state lines. Americans residing in a state with expensive health insurance plans are locked into those plans and do not currently have an opportunity to choose a lower cost option that best meets their needs. Americans should have the freedom to buy health insurance from any provider.
Guaranteeing people with pre-existing conditions can get affordable coverage. Health care should be accessible for all, regardless of pre-existing conditions or past illnesses. Creating high risk pools with premium caps and expanding Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protections will ensure access to coverage.
Providing a universal tax deduction for buying health insurance. Whether Americans buy health insurance independently or through an employer, the tax code should treat everyone equally and fairly.
Empowering families with tax-free Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are popular savings accounts that provide cost effective health insurance to those who might otherwise go uninsured. Letting families save more for health care expenses will encourage financial stability. House conservatives support improving HSAs by making it easier for patients with high-deductible health plans to use them to obtain access to quality care. We also support repealing the Affordable Care Act, which prevents the use of these savings accounts to purchase over-the-counter medicine.
Increasing transparency in billing so consumers know what they are paying for. In the age of the Internet, everyone can see prices and reviews of anything before buying—except when it comes to health care. Informed choices are better choices.
Enabling small businesses and other groups to pool their coverage. Letting employers partner together to get the same insurance rates as large corporations will lower costs.
Cracking down on junk lawsuits. Skyrocketing medical liability insurance rates have distorted the practice of medicine, routinely forcing doctors to order costly and often unnecessary tests to protect themselves from lawsuits, often referred to as “defensive medicine.” In Texas, our physicians were being sued at twice the national average and doctors practicing in high-risk specialties like obstetrics either left the state or gave up the practice of medicine. Two-thirds of Texas’ 254 counties had no OB-GYN. Sixty percent of Texas counties had no pediatricians. But in 2003, the Texas legislature enacted sweeping medical liability reforms that started to fix the problem. Since then, claims and lawsuits in most Texas counties have been cut in half. And, the number of doctors applying to practice medicine in Texas has increased by 60 percent. The Texas model would work in other states.
Reducing the doctor shortage. Physician shortages are expected to reach 62,900 by 2015 and 91,500 by 2020. Incentivizing primary care physicians to work in underserved areas will increase access and improve quality of care.
Giving states flexibility to improve Medicaid through innovation. After it was freed from some federal mandates, Rhode Island increased choice and expanded access for low-income Americans while reducing costs. Other states should be able to do the same.
House conservatives recognize that patient-centered reforms rooted in free markets are the best way to lower costs and solve problems in our health care system. That is why House conservatives have introduced a comprehensive bill that combines these pragmatic, practical, and portable free-market alternatives into one legislative package. I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 3121, the American Health Care Reform Act:
Fully repeals President Obama’s health care law, eliminating billions in taxes and thousands of pages of unworkable regulations and mandates that are driving up health care costs.
Spurs competition to lower health care costs by allowing Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines and enabling small businesses to pool together and get the same buying power as large corporations.
Reforms medical malpractice laws in a commonsense way that limits trial lawyer fees and non-economic damages while maintaining strong protections for patients.
Provides tax reform that allows families and individuals to deduct health care costs, just like companies, leveling the playing field and providing all Americans with a standard deduction for health insurance.
Expands access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), increasing the amount of pre-tax dollars individuals can deposit into portable savings accounts to be used for health care expenses.
Safeguards individuals with pre-existing conditions from being discriminated against purchasing health insurance by bolstering state-based high risk pools and extending HIPAA guaranteed availability protections.Protects the unborn by ensuring no federal funding of abortions.
