Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

As Americans, I believe we all share the same goals when looking to reform our healthcare system -- lowering costs and increasing access to quality care. In my district, approximately 88 percent of my constituents have healthcare -- the issue is, they are paying too much for it and the problem is getting worse, not better.

Since I first ran for Congress in 2010, I have heard time and time again from my constituents across Upstate New York that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is not the answer to these broadly supported goals of lowering costs and expanding access to quality health care. As we have seen across Upstate NY, costs continue to rise at alarming and unsustainable rates, driving down access.

In fact, as we get closer to full ACA implementation, the concerns I hear from small business owners and constituents of all ages have increased. These include concerns about tax increases, rising premiums, changing or dropped coverage, giving more power to un-elected officials in Washington, and many other issues. Additionally, many of the fundamental provisions of the law have either proved unworkable or have not been established, leading to what Republicans and Democrats alike have called an impending train wreck.

Sadly, this bill also did not prevent the looming insolvency of the Medicare program. I believe we need to make structural changes to this program to preserve it for future generations. Inaction will end Medicare as we know it. The ACA not only made cuts to Medicare programs, such as the popular Medicare Advantage plan, but it failed to control the explosive costs that will put the entire program in jeopardy within a decade. Failing to address the costs of Medicare will also make it extremely difficult to control health care costs in the broader health care market.

It is for that reason that I have for the course of my career supported the full repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, since I have been a Member of Congress, we have repealed individual provisions of the bill, including Section 1099 of the law -- which included a burdensome paperwork mandate on small businesses -- that was signed into law. We also signed into law a provision blocking the IRS from hiring 16,500 enforcement agents and defunded billions of dollars in discretionary funding and some of the "slushfund" accounts in the bill.

However, it is critical that we reform our health care system to get to those goals of lowering costs and increasing access. This can be accomplished through substantive, bipartisan discussions on commonsense reforms. These replacement solutions can preserve provisions like extending the age parents can keep their children on their insurance and coverage for pre-existing conditions -- both of which are already in place in most cases in New York -- as well as the strengthening of Medicare.

To that regard, specifically I voted or have supported the following proposals:
Empower consumers by giving them the ability to purchase an affordable health insurance policy with a range of options, including across state lines. It will allow consumers to shop for health insurance just like they do for other insurance products -- online, by mail, over the phone, or in consultation with an insurance agent in their hometown. Cosponsor of H.R. 762.
Define and establish Association Health Plans (AHPs), allowing associations like chambers of commerce, industry associations, and rural electric cooperatives to purchase health insurance as a group. Cosponsor of HR 1050 in 112th.
Voted for medical liability reform to reduce costs.
Simplify and broaden Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSAs) to decrease the cost of health insurance, increase coverage, and promote savings for retirement health care. Cosponsor for HR 2010 in 112th.
Working with the Urgent Care Community to ensure the reimbursement system accurately reflects that reality that an urgent care visit is cheaper than the emergency room, and its use should be expanded.
Using the Medical Home Pilot Program to reduce re-admittance rates.
Repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). IPAB was included in the President's health care law, and is a government panel that can meet in secrecy to decide what health care services will be available to seniors and what their cost burden will be for care. Additionally, the legislation includes medical malpractice reform, which is a significant contributor to the rising cost of health care.
Repeal of a 2.3 percent excise tax on medical device manufacturers as well as a repeals on using flexible spending arrangements (FSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), and Archer medical savings accounts (Archer MSAs) for the purpose of purchasing over-the-counter medicine without a prescription from a physician. FSA participants would no longer have to forfeit the remaining balance at the end of the year -- instead, a balance of up to $500 would be able to be "cashed out" at the end of the year. Voted for HR 436 in 112th.
Advancing technological improvements (online medical records) and efficiencies.
I also continue to review proposals authored by my colleagues and others on innovative solutions to reform our nation's healthcare system so that my constituents can be assured quality healthcare at a cost they can afford.

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