Alexander touts catastrophic health insurance plans

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) recently noted that the Obama Administration’s decision to allow “catastrophic” health insurance policies to replace polices that were cancelled due to the Affordable Care Act was initially a Republican idea.

Alexander, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said Republicans have long pushed for the catastrophic plan approach to provide more Americans with healthcare.

“…Everyone should have the opportunity to buy affordable catastrophic insurance as part of a private-sector plan to create more competition, offer more choices and lower costs,” Alexander said. “This is a completely different approach and would have been a better path than Obamacare. It was suggested by Republicans – and ridiculed by the president – at the 2010 White House healthcare summit.”

Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said recent changes to healthcare law have fueled the public’s confusion and anxiety about the ACA’s implementation.

“It is time to eliminate the individual mandate for all Americans,” Barrasso said. “We have clear proof now that the president’s healthcare law is hurting more people than it is helping…”

Alexander, Barrasso and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) recently introduced the Premium Disclosure Act, which would prevent ACA’s enrollment deadline from being postponed until after 2014 elections and would require a 30-day notice before premium increases.