Dennis Ross: Dispelling the myths — real facts about the AHCA
American Health Care Act

American Health Care Act

Beyond any measure, the Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare,” has failed in its promises to the American people.

As it stands, Obamacare is in a death spiral and collapsing under its own weight of broken assurances, imperiling tens of thousands of Floridians with ever-increasing premiums and fewer and fewer choices for their medical needs. Here are the undisputed facts about Obamacare:

– It was sold to the American people based on broken promises.

– People did not get to keep their doctors if they liked them.

4.7 million Americans have been kicked off their health care plans.

– Nearly 20 million Americans remain uninsured today.

– It increased taxes on Americans by $1 trillion.

– Deductibles will average more than $6,000 this year, and premiums have risen by 25 percent.

– More than one-third of all U.S. counties have only one insurance provider.

– In Florida, premiums are expected to increase by 19 percent this year.

49 out of 67 Florida counties are estimated to have only one insurance provider this year.

300,000 Floridians had their plans canceled under Obamacare.

– The Congressional Budget Office incorrectly estimated 22 million people would flock to Obamacare.

– Insurance providers are fleeing the exchange left and right, with Aetna announcing it will completely leave the exchange by 2018.

– Leading Democrats, like former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Chuck Schumer, have admitted Obamacare was a mistake and has left Americans with less coverage.

Faced with these failures, doing nothing and watching more and more Americans be forced to pay higher premiums with unaffordable deductibles was not an option. The only responsible path forward was to repeal and replace the failures and broken promises of Obamacare.

The American Health Care Act (AHCA) that I voted for and passed in the House does just that:

– It establishes a health care system built upon free-market and consumer-driven principles that will revive competition, increasing quality, drive down costs and expand coverage.

– Cuts $1 trillion in burdensome Obamacare taxes.

– Congressional Members and staff are not exempt from the AHCA. The McSally Amendment made sure this legislation applies equally to everyone.

– Those with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage. I have a pre-existing condition with my congenital heart defect, and I understand how important it is to maintain coverage for others.

– Low-income Americans are not losing coverage and will still receive coverage under Medicaid.

– The AHCA modernizes and strengthens Medicaid with the biggest entitlement reform in a generation.

– It honors the enhanced state match that beneficiaries have been receiving.

– Restores $79 billion to hospitals who provide a high proportion of care to the most vulnerable patients, including certain Medicaid and Medicare recipients.

– Establishes the Patient and State Stability Fund that provides $130 billion to help states lower the cost of care for patients in need.

– Sets aside $100 billion for states to help low-income Americans access affordable health care.

– President Donald Trump has agreed to give Florida hospitals $1.5 billion to help treat the poor and uninsured.

No changes were made to the benefits Medicare provides in its current form, and the elderly will not lose or face more expensive coverage under the AHCA.

– Children up to 26 years old can stay on their parents’ plans.

– The AHCA substantially lowers premiums and eliminates the individual and employer mandates that are crushing small businesses and families.

– It provides tax credits and health savings accounts to help all Americans purchase affordable coverage, and ensures there is a seamless transition so no one has the rug pulled out from under them.

Defunds Planned Parenthood by blocking more than $500 million of taxpayer money, and maintains the Hyde Amendment. This measure is supported by the National Right to Life Committee and the Susan B. Anthony List.

The AHCA is great a step in the right direction. After seven long years, we are finally putting patients first. We will continue working with the Trump Administration to further stabilize the health insurance market, increase choices, and lower costs for all Americans and families. We will fulfill our promises to those who sent us to Washington to help and protect them. I urge the Senate to quickly take up and pass this important legislation so we can provide relief to Americans across Florida and the entire nation.

___

U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross represents Florida’s 15th Congressional District.

Guest Author


5 comments

  • vic peel

    May 15, 2017 at 4:10 pm

    Your one of the few telling it like it is

  • Kendra

    May 15, 2017 at 4:15 pm

    This “article” is full of so many lies, half-truths, and misleading statements that it’s impossible to know where to begin beyond saying, “Mr. Ross, you should be deeply ashamed of yourself, and nobody is buying your horse puckey.”

    I will first say that the CBO and other independent organizations have repeatedly said that Obamacare is NOT in a “death spiral,” that nearly every one of the people who was “kicked off” one kind of insurance was simply moved to a different insurance plan, and that while there remain uninsured people, there are about 20 million fewer uninsured than there were prior to the ACA. Oh, and the vast majority of people DID get to keep their doctors.

    Let’s just use one of the more fundamental lies in this piece: “It provides tax credits and health savings accounts to help all Americans purchase affordable coverage, and ensures there is a seamless transition so no one has the rug pulled out from under them.” Firstly, it allows older Americans to be charged up to five times more for a plan. Secondly, it caps tax credits at $4k – far less than Obamacare (the ACA) and not nearly enough to buy a decent plan. What’s more, it ties the amount of the credit solely to age rather than ability to pay. Hence those who are poorest don’t get additional help, but a wealthy senior gets the maximum $4k credit, regardless of whether he needs it.

    Not only that, but the increase in taxes under Obamacare was on the wealthiest Americans. The AHCA is, without question, one of the largest wealth redistributions – FROM the poor TO the rich – that we’ve ever seen.

    I simply don’t have time to go over every one of the lies and misstatements here. It’s the same lying that has been going on since this atrocious bill was passed by the House. It’s disgusting.

    I’m frankly flabbergasted that you thought you could get away with lying so shamelessly and thinking nobody would notice, or that people would buy it. Shame on you. Fie.

  • Kendra

    May 15, 2017 at 4:21 pm

    Holy moly. I’ve just gone over more of this dubious piece.

    “The elderly will not lose or face more expensive coverage under the AHCA.” Bald-faced lie. The elderly can be charged up to five times more for a plan.

    “The AHCA modernizes and strengthens Medicaid with the biggest entitlement reform in a generation.”

    Bald-faced lie. The plan cuts $900 billion from Medicaid. And the link in this sentence leads to a one-page, detail-free repeat of the same lie.

    “The AHCA substantially lowers premiums”

    Only for the young and healthy – the people who don’t actually need it. The older and the sicker have their premiums raised DRASTICALLY.

    Good lord, I hate liars like this guy.

  • Morgan Haas

    May 15, 2017 at 11:42 pm

    Can We get a Town Hall in Lakeland?

Comments are closed.


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