Last week, the House voted on a largely symbolic bill that merely nibbled at the edges of the problems caused by Obamacare.
The Keep Your Health Plan Act attempted to fix one of the many problems caused by the President’s disastrous healthcare law: the cancellations by insurance companies of healthcare plans which do not meet Obamacare’s myriad requirements. However, what House Republican leadership failed to see is that you can’t fix a law that will cripple our economy, increase our nation’s debt, and limit healthcare options for millions of Americans.
Obamacare is simply not fixable, and Congress must stop wasting time passing bills which keep Obamacare in place. That is why I was one of only four Republicans to oppose this bill, and it is why I will continue to stand strong against shortsighted “fixes” to this law.
Americans across the country are hurting from Obamacare, and now more than ever, they are feeling the pain from increased premiums and cancellation notices. While cancellation notices were initially predicted to impact 10 million Americans, new reports now show that by next fall, that number could be closer to 100 million.
Americans deserve better, and while the Keep Your Health Plan Act attempted to address the number of cancellation notices Americans are facing, unfortunately, this legislation would at best delay Obamacare’s impact on Americans, forcing them to endure the same problems again next year. At the same time, it would not guarantee that any American who lost their plan due to the new standards under Obamacare would be able to get that plan back.
Finally, it should be noted that if implemented, this “fix” would cause a tremendous amount of chaos for insurance companies, leading to additional delays and instability for the very customers the bill is supposed to help.
Bottom-line, the only true fix for cancelled healthcare plans, higher costs, and government intrusion into Americans’ healthcare decisions is a swift, full, repeal of Obamacare and implementation of a new, patient-centered plan. While many have criticized the Republican party for their lack of plan or replacement to Obamacare, four years ago, before Obamacare was ever put into place, I introduced a bill that would tackle the majority of the problems found in our current healthcare financing system.
Under my Patient OPTION Act, healthcare would be accessible to all Americans, even those with pre-existing conditions, through market-based solutions. These include: the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines, 100% tax deductibility, expanded contributions to health savings accounts, association pools, and incentives to physicians offering indigent patient care.
Through these initiatives, the Patient OPTION Act would make health insurance cheaper for everyone, provide access to quality care for all Americans, and save Medicare from going broke. As it is my firm belief that the federal government should not be involved in individual’s healthcare decisions, the Patient OPTION Act empowers patients by giving them full control of their healthcare decisions. In fact, it is the only healthcare bill that completely removes government from the doctor-patient relationship.
Instead of wasting time trying to fix a law that is destructive to our economy and healthcare system, let’s focus our efforts towards a full repeal of Obamacare. The Patient OPTION Act does that, while addressing some of the fundamental problems associated with healthcare financing today. I urge my colleagues to bring the Patient OPTION Act before the floor for a vote, so that we can work towards providing Americans with the affordable and quality care they deserve, without expanding the reach of federal government and sacrificing our valued freedoms.
Rep. Paul Broun represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District and is running for U.S. Senate.