House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) championed House Republicans’ plans to reform the nation’s health care system by giving patients more choice and lowering overall costs during a hearing last week that advanced the American Health Care Act (AHCA).
After nearly 28 hours of markup and debate, the committee’s vote to pass the AHCA would repeal and replace Obamacare. Republican committee members from Indiana, U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks and Larry Bucshon, voted in favor of the new plan.
Walden said Republicans unveiled their “Better Way” policy agenda to reform Obamacare with a patient-centered, 21st century health care system.
“Today, we begin the process of implementing that vision,” Walden said. “After years of Obamacare’s broken promises we’re proud to put forth a plan that presents a better way for patients, and for families.”
The plan, Walden said, would continue to protect patients with pre-existing conditions, would not return to lifetime caps or annual limits on care, and would enable people under age 26 to remain on their parents’ plans.
“We’re moving away from a government-run system that is in collapse, and where bureaucrats stand in the way between patients and their doctors,” Walden said. “Instead we move forward toward a health care system where one-size-fits-all mandates are a thing of the past. Where states are empowered to innovate and care for their citizens and, most importantly, where patients are actually in charge.”
Under the plan, a new and innovative Patient and State Stability Fund would be created to help low-income Americans afford health care and to reform struggling state insurance markets. “This fund gives states broad flexibility to design programs that best serve their unique populations,” Walden said.
Republican proposals would also unwind Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act and refocus Medicaid’s limited resources on patients who are most in need, Walden added.
A per capita allotment was proposed to determine a fair level of funding for states, Walden said. “This type of allotment has been supported not just by Republicans, but also by key Democrats, like former President Bill Clinton who recommended it.”
Brooks said she was proud of the committee’s work to pass the bill after a day and a half of debate.
“The goals of the American Health Care Act are to provide states with more flexibility, lower health care costs for families and offer people more options when it comes to their health care decisions,” Brooks said. “Our plan protects coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, allows kids to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until the age of 26, continues to protect seniors from the high costs of prescription drugs caused by the Medicare Part D donut hole and bans lifetime caps to ensure that people will never have a limit imposed on their care.”
Bucshon said lawmakers were on a mission to rescue health care as problems with Obamacare continue to spiral out of control.
“The American Health Care Act repeals the big-government mandates and costly taxes in the law and replaces it with common sense reforms that lower costs, expand access and uphold critical patient protections like coverage for preexisting conditions,” Bucshon said.
“This is truly a historic opportunity to fulfill our promise to the American people and we are committed to a thoughtful, transparent process to ensure we get this right on behalf of patients across the country,” Bucshon added.