Health Care Reform

Americans have the leading doctors, the most advanced medical technology, and the best hospitals in the world. It has not been uncommon for major government officials from other countries to come to the United States for their medical procedures.

While certain reforms were needed, we should have done this by working within and adding to the system we already had—not  radically restructuring 17% of the nation’s economy which is what President Obama’s healthcare legislation did. Although our healthcare system wasn’t perfect, it was still the best in the world.

Certain provisions of the Health Care law that I have fought to repeal are the 3.8% unearned income Medicare contribution tax, which can apply to home sales and certain other transactions, and the 2.3% medical device excise tax which could result in loss of jobs, cuts to research and development, and increased costs to consumers. I am a cosponsor of Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act of 2013 (H.R. 351) to repeal the law’s Independent Payment Advisory Board.  I am also a cosponsor of the Healthcare Tax Relief and Mandate Repeal Act (H.R. 582) to repeal the law’s individual and employer mandates.

I will continue to fight for and support reform measures that empower patients while simultaneously reducing costs including:

•    Ensuring coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions.
•    Eliminating lifetime caps.
•    Providing for portability of insurance from one job to another.
•    Fostering competition by allowing consumers to purchase insurance across state lines.
•    Preserving a patient’s ability to keep his or her health plan if they like it.

For information on the health care reform implementation, click here.