Newsletter - Joe Pitts

Statement

House Votes to Put President's Promise into Law
Today, the House approved bipartisan legislation to allow people to keep the insurance plans they are currently on. The Keep Your Health Care Act passed the House 261-157 with 39 Democrats supporting the proposal. The vote came one day after President Obama proposed an administrative fix to allow some Americans to keep their plans. The President's plan falls far short of what is needed. Case Western Law Professor Jonathan Adler recently pointed out that under the President's directive: "The legal requirement remains on the books so the relevant health insurance plans remain illegal under federal law." Right now, the President's promise that "If you like it, you can keep it" is still not being met. We have to change the law to protect Americans.

Problems Run Deeper than the Website
This week, I chaired a hearing of the Health Subcommittee looking deeper into Obamacare and problems related to the implementation apart from the poor website. Consumers are facing the sticker shock of new insurance plans, people may not be able to keep their doctor under new plans, there is a strong risk of identity theft for those giving personal information to the government, and many Americans are ending up in Medicaid instead of private insurance. The website may get fixed in a few weeks, but that won't fix these and many other problems that remain.

Subcommittee Checks Up on Implementation of Bipartisan FDA Law
Last year, I worked closely with members of both parties to pass legislation to improve the Food and Drug Administration review process for drugs and medical devices. Today, we held an oversight hearing to ask FDA leaders about how the law is being implemented. Medical innovation is dependent on a predictable and fair review process. Good American jobs are dependent on the work being done at FDA.

Veterans Administration Offers New Dental Plans
The Veterans Administration is now partnering with dental insurance providers to allow veterans and their families to purchase coverage. The more than 8 million veterans currently enrolled in VA health care can now choose to purchase a plan from either Delta Dental or MetLife. More information is available at www.deltadentalvadip.org or www.metlife.com/vadip. For veterans with service connected medical conditions, free dental services will continue. For more on enrolling in VA health benefits, visit www.va.gov/healthbenefits/enroll or calling 1-877-222-VETS.

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