Since the implementation of the president's health care law's individual mandate, I have heard from so many of you in the 3rd District that either had issues registering for an insurance plan, or if you were successful, have seen your premiums rise at an alarmingly high rate.
Recently, I read a study published in September from the National Bureau of Economic Research that found, in the first half of 2014, health insurance premiums in the individual health market "increased by 24.4 percent beyond what they would have had they simply followed the state-level seasonally adjusted trends." And the American people are taking notice of these changes, too.
A survey taken by Gallup, as open enrollment began in November, found that only 37 percent of American's approve of the president's health care law, while 56 percent disapprove.
One family, in particular, from the 3rd District recently wrote to me saying the health care coverage for the family of four increased by over $300 per month. They didn't make any changes to their health care plan, yet they were still hit with a very high new premium.
This cannot continue to happen.
In the 113th Congress, over 180 members of the House co-sponsored the American Health Care Reform Act. I believe this legislation is the right approach to take for our nation's health care system. First, it would fully repeal the president's health care law, and as a result of that, would eliminate billions in taxes and thousands of pages of unworkable regulations and mandates that drive up your costs.
Second, it would spur competition to lower health care costs by allowing you to purchase health insurance across state lines and it would enable small businesses to pool together and get the same buying power as large corporations. It would reform medical malpractice laws in a common-sense way, expand access to Health Savings Accounts, and safeguard individuals with pre-existing conditions from being discriminated against purchasing health insurance by bolstering state-based high risk pools. It would also protect the unborn by ensuring no federal funding is available for abortions. Those are just a few of the major provisions in the legislation.
Now that the 113th Congress is over, and as the 114th begins, it is my hope that even more House members rally behind this sensible piece of legislation, as well as members of the Senate.
The reality of the president's health care law is that millions of Americans have lost their plans and it has caused overall health insurance costs to increase. I will continue to chip away at its provisions, and it is my hope that it will ultimately be repealed, so Americans across the country no longer have to deal with this unworkable law that the administration has placed upon the country.
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., represents the state's 3rd District, which includes Jefferson City. His local office can be reached at 573-635-7232.
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