Letter to the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader of United States Senate, and the Honorable Paul D. Ryan, Speaker of United States House of Representatives - Vote on American Health Care Act

Letter

Dear Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan:

Thank you for your service to our country. Please allow us to offer our thoughts about the pending vote on the
American Health Care Act. Americans want personalized, patient-centered healthcare that treats them as
individuals not a statistic, and that demands we repeal Obamacare, replace it, and reform the system.

We support the Repeal of Obamacare

Obamacare is collapsing. If we do nothing, people will lose access to health care coverage. As it stands now, one-third of the counties nationwide have only a single insurance carrier. Americans in these areas have essentially no choices, while they watch their premiums rise dramatically. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 28 million Americans will lose coverage over the next decade if changes are not made to the Affordable Care Act.

As the Affordable Care Act continues to deteriorate, and as insurance premiums skyrocket across the nation,
opposition to this failed policy grows. Governor Mark Dayton (D-MN) said, "the Affordable Care Act is no longer
affordable". Similarly, Bill Clinton called ObamaCare, "...the craziest thing in the world.", adding that people "wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half." The President and Congress must act now to repeal the Affordable Care Act to protect the citizens we serve in the states.

We support efforts to Replace Obamacare

Most Americans receive their health insurance coverage through their employer or through Medicare. These
individuals will not see a direct change from the repeal of Obamacare. For those Americans who do not receive coverage through their employer, Medicare or Medicaid, we support a refundable tax credit they can use to obtain affordable health care coverage within the marketplace.

We support efforts to Reform the system

To provide access to affordable and quality health care, we must reform the system. We support a plan that gives state governments maximum flexibility to reform Medicaid and the system surrounding it. The states are more effective, more efficient and more accountable to the people. What works in one state may not work in another location, and true reform will allow states to recognize and meet the unique needs of people all across America.

We recognize that a vote in the House of Representatives is the first step in the Repeal, Replace and Reform process. The members of the United States Senate will undoubtedly make additional improvements before final approval by the President. We also recognize that the Secretary of Health and Human Services is committed to working with state leaders to provide maximum flexibility for true reform.

Governors are pleased to have an administration and a Congress willing to collaborate with the states to address the legitimate needs of our people. We have compassion for those concerned about the uncertainty surrounding the changes. This is why it is imperative that the Congress act quickly on Repeal, Replace and Reform.

This is a multi-stage process. There is much more work to be done, and process can only begin with a vote in the House of Representatives. With this in mind, we humbly request that you vote to repeal and replace Obamacare and to reform the system going forward. Thank you.

Sincerely,