UPDATES: Supreme Court Oral Arguments on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
Overview
In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law. I strongly opposed PPACA because the trillion dollar health care package will increase costs for consumers and the government. In addition, the bill raised taxes by $565 billion. Even worse, PPACA includes fundamental changes to Medicare by creating a board of fifteen unelected bureaucrats with broad and unaccountable authority to make binding decision on significant cuts and rationing of care. Finally, the law accelerates the bankruptcy of Medicare threatening the program for future generations.
PPACA does not include the reforms necessary to actually improve our health care system, increase access to insurance and reduce costs for families and small businesses.
Congress must repeal PPACA and replace it with reform measures that will accomplish these goals without increasing the size, complication and negative influence of government bureaucracy. Numerous studies and analyses have confirmed repeatedly that it will drive up costs for Kentucky families and smalls businesses and will jeopardize choices and access to care for seniors and individuals.
Reform of our health care system should put patients and their health first. American families and small businesses should have the right to choose the health care plan that will fit their needs. Personal health care decisions must remain between the doctor and the patient- not left in the hands of politicians and special interest groups.
Recent House Action
Since the beginning of the 112th Congress, a number of important votes have taken place related to this issue, all of which I have supported:
- H.R. 2, a bill to repeal PPACA
- H.Res. 9, a resolution instructing House committees to develop replacement health care reform legislation
- Multiple bills to repeal components of PPACA that were already funded through mandatory spending “slush funds.” Mandatory spending is not subject to annual review during the appropriations process in Congress.
- H.R. 4, the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act
- Multiple amendments to appropriations bills that would prohibit funds from being used for implementation of various offices, boards and programs related to PPACA
House Republican Health Care Ideas
We must repeal PPACA entirely and start over with real reform measures to help help families, small businesses, the uninsured and those with pre-existing conditions obtain affordable access to quality health care. The commonsense proposals put forward over the past couple years by Republican are designed to ensure all Americans have access to affordable, high-quality patient-centered health care at a price our country can afford – all without adding to the crushing debt Washington has placed on our children and grandchildren.
I support many health care reform proposals, including:
- Make quality health care coverage affordable and accessible for every American, regardless of pre-existing health conditions.
- Allow for the purchase of insurance plans across State lines to increase competition.
- Association Health Plans to allow small businesses to negotiate health benefits at a more affordable rate
- Enact substantive medical liability reform to reduce frivolous lawsuits, lower the cost of malpractice insurance and decrease the rapidly growing expense of defensive medicine.
- Raise or eliminate lifetime caps on coverage.
- Expand and improve consumer directed health care accounts, including Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts.
- Improve effective prevention, wellness, and disease management programs, while developing new treatments and cures for life-threatening diseases.
House Committee on Ways and Means
The House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over many health care issues, including Medicare. As a member of the Committee, I have been working hard with my colleagues to repeal PPACA and develop proactive solutions to improve America’s health care system and make it more affordable for all. To learn more about action by the Ways and Means Committee on health care issues, click here.
Information About PPACA
