Lets Simplify and Lower Healthcare Costs

Statement

My opponent, Congressman Frank Pallone proudly claims to be the father and brain child of ObamaCare. Sadly after about four years of its passage into law, healthcare premiums have skyrocketed, families have lost coverage and have lost access to longtime family doctors. Those who struggled to afford health insurance before are now forced to purchase an expensive government qualified plan or face fines that if aren't paid will be taken out of tax refund checks.

The over 2,000 page legislation that Congressman Frank Pallone fathered simply made our health care system more expensive and out of reach for many Americans. In order to start making healthcare more affordable and providing greater access, I'm proposing we begin to take the first steps in creating true reforms that benefit the American people. This proposal is just the beginning in what we can do to lower the cost of health insurance and increase access to quality care.

THE WILKINSON AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE

HEALTH CARE INSURANCE ALTERNATIVE

-Those who buy their own health insurance will be given a CPI adjusted fixed sum tax credit not to exceed the cost of the health insurance.

-For employees who purchase insurance through their employer, each will receive a dollar-for-dollar subsidy for the first dollars of insurance up to the same amount as the tax credit (CPI adjusted) for those who do not purchase insurance at the workplace. Paycheck deductions will reflect that subsidy and as well as the fact that the balance of the cost of insurance is paid for with after-tax dollars.

-Employers will be permitted to deduct the full cost of their share of the health insurance premiums.

-Those who make deposits into a Health Savings Account will receive a one-tiime tax credit up to a certain amount which will be less than the tax subsidies available for the purchase of insurance.

-All tax subsidies will be phased out as income rises.

-The tax subsidies are paid for with the same the revenue sources as those in the Affordable Care Act except for the medical device tax.

-Eliminate all government requirements for what must be included in health insurance.

-Eliminate healthcare.gov and all federal exchanges. Instead encourage the industry to establish standards for internet portals, for the form of insurance coverage offerings, and for collecting information from consumers to determine such offerings. Such standards should be supported by evidence that they are reasonably acceptable to a cross-section of consumers. The industry may elect to request information from consumers which would allow them to offer actuarially fair premiums to consumers. Encourage such industry participation and encourage insurance companies to offer such portals by allowing those who participate in this process to have a higher level of administrative costs than other companies before they would be required to return any portions of premiums to their customers. States would have the freedom to decide whether or not to provide exchanges.

-Encourage states to enter into reciprocity agreements for the provision of healthcare insurance across state lines.

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