Equitable Access to Care and Health Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the EACH Act on behalf of my constituents in Massachusetts that are seeking to continue to take advantage of the religious conscience exemption to the individual mandate that is currently provided to them under the 2006 Massachusetts health reform law.
Since the individual mandate went into effect in Massachusetts, Donna Smiley, a Christian Scientist from Centerville, has taken advantage of the religious exemption provided in the law that prevents her from being penalized for her religious beliefs. Each year on her state tax return, the form has included a section for her to attest that because of her sincerely held religious beliefs she has chosen not to purchase medical health insurance.
With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Donna would no longer be able to take advantage of the Massachusetts religious conscience exemption and would be penalized by the federal government for not having insurance. The EACH Act, modeled after the process that has been in place in Massachusetts for the past seven years, would ensure that a fair solution is reached so that Donna and other Americans are not penalized for their religious beliefs next year.
The legislation would modestly expand the religious conscience exemption in the Affordable Care Act to certain individuals who have sincere religious beliefs against medical insurance and related medical care. As we saw in Massachusetts, which served as the model for the Affordable Care Act as well as the EACH Act, it is clear that a similar exemption in no way adversely affected the risk pool or generated a rise in abuse or fraud. According to the most recent report from Massachusetts' health insurance exchange, approximately 0.1% of the population or 6,500 residents apply annually for a religious exemption.
Allowing for this narrow exemption to the Affordable Care Act is the fair and equitable path forward to ensure religious diversity.
I believe there is a bipartisan coalition of support for this measure.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
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