Healthcare
The average 40-year old man, purchasing his own health insurance in North Carolina, saw a 137 percent increase in premiums this year due to Obamacare.
The average 64-year-old woman, purchasing her own health insurance in North Carolina, faced a 197 percent increase!
So much for the “Affordable” Care Act.
Every American should have access to quality and affordable health care. As a society, we have a responsibility to provide a safety net for those truly in need. But does anyone think empowering 16,000 IRS agents to make decisions about our healthcare will make anything better? Obamacare comes directly between the doctor and patient, creating a bloated and costly government bureaucracy.
Hardworking Americans deserve a better solution.
House Republicans are focused on common sense health care solutions, including offering tax credits and incentives to make it easier for families to purchase the health insurance of their choice, instead of penalties for not purchasing President Obama’s vision of health insurance. Real solutions also include:
- Protection for pre-existing conditions
- Portability
- Malpractice reform, which will lower costs through fewer unnecessary tests
- Lowering costs by allowing health insurance to be sold across state lines, just like car insurance.
These reforms are the basis of the American Health Care Reform Act (H.R. 3121), which I co-sponsored, and the Empowering Patients First Act (H.R. 2300), which I was the first in North Carolina to co-sponsor. Senate Democrats are blocking even modest tweaks to Obamacare, so passage of these real solutions for ordinary American families is unlikely until Republicans regain control of the Senate.
Over the past 20 months, I have voted 20 times to defund, repeal, or replace Obamacare, including:
- H.R. 45: To repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 – passed 229-195
- H.R. 2667: Authority for Mandate Delay Act – passed 264-161
- H.R. 2668: Fairness for American Families Act – passed 251-174
- H.R. 2009: Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act – passed 232-185
- H.R. 2775: No Subsidies Without Verification Act – passed 235-191
- H.R. 3350: Keep Your Health Plan Act – passed 261-157
- H.R. 3811: Health Exchange Security and Transparency Act – passed 291-122
- H.R. 2262: To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require transparency in the operation of American Health Benefit Exchanges – passed 259-154
- H.R. 4118: SIMPLE Fairness Act – passed 250-160
- H.R. 1814: Equitable Access to Care and Health (EACH) Act – passed unanimously
- H.R. 3474: Hire More Heroes Act – passed 406-1
- H.R. 3979: Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act – passed 410-0
- H.R. 4414: The Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act – passed 258-160
Because Obamacare is killing jobs and failing to make healthcare affordable, I am also working diligently toward meaningful reforms that minimize the negative impacts of the current policy.
Quality and affordable healthcare is critical to our continued success as a Nation. President Obama’s healthcare law was poorly thought out and even more poorly executed. As your Congressman, I’m working to fully repeal Obamacare and replace it with common sense reforms that lower healthcare costs, protect those with pre-existing conditions, and provide a safety net for those truly in need.