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Health Care Reform
All Americans should have access to quality, affordable health care. At a time of record unemployment and economic strain, policies that will increase competition and individual choice in the healthcare marketplace are essential to achieving greater efficiency and affordability for everyone. Individuals should be able to choose their doctor and their treatment plan.
That is why I sponsored H.R. 1286, the Healthcare Fiscal Accountability Act of 2011 that would repeal future funding for the new healthcare reform law – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). PPACA mandates that everyone must purchase insurance or be subject to a fine or imprisonment. The United States General Accounting Office put out a report stating that the Internal Revenue Service will now enforce 47 provisions of PPACA. PPACA sets up a system that brings millions of people onto an entitlement system of healthcare through state exchanges. Minnesota’s Medicaid enrollment is expected to increase by 163,000 new enrollees. Many of these people were already covered under their own individual or group plans. PPACA capped Medicare payments and reduced money to Medicare by $575 billion to bring on all the additional healthcare enrollees. We need to offer real healthcare solutions for the uninsured and underinsured, not mandates and heavier tax burdens to pay for it.
Additionally, I support the expansion of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) which currently allow Americans to save a limited amount of money for medical expenses tax-free. I advocate for the creation of Association Health Plans (AHPs), which would allow small businesses to band together through trade associations to purchase health insurance for their employees at a lower cost. I also support tort reform to limit frivolous lawsuits.
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