Issue Position: Healthcare

Issue Position

Universal healthcare, better known as ObamaCare, is now the law of the land. With this vast new entitlement comes the heavy hand of government.

Every American, beginning in 2014, is required to have health insurance, whether they want it or not. Every person who has the means will have to purchase health insurance or pay a "tax" to the IRS. Refuse to pay, and your property will be subject to IRS confiscation. Businesses meeting the law's requirements will have to do the same for their employees or pay this "tax" for each one. New taxes on income and on medical devices required by ObamaCare are in place.

For many, their health insurance will be subsidized by the government using taxes collected from their neighbors and from their fellow citizens around the country (or from Chinese, Arab, and other lenders to our government). For millions of others who are being added to the Medicaid roles, the government will furnish them free healthcare, again paid for by the nation's taxpayers or by borrowing. States will be incredibly burdened to meet their share of these Medicaid costs. Our national debt will explode even more as we borrow further to pay the cost overruns for this new entitlement.

Health insurance companies will be required to pay out in benefits 85 percent of the premiums they collect. Historically, this figure has been around 65 percent. Sounds good if you're insured, but factoring in new taxes, reserve requirements, administrative costs, and overhead borne by private insurers, this requirement will eventually drive private insurers out of business. Who will be left standing? Government sponsored insurance plans, which will usher in the era of government-run healthcare.

Huge annual health insurance premium increases are now commonplace for American policyholders, largely because of insurer mandates under the law to provide certain benefits at no cost and to make policies available at uniform costs regardless of risk.

Healthcare options will become more and more limited, especially for Medicare beneficiaries, as the government lowers its healthcare costs at the expense of healthcare providers, many of whom will be driven out, or choose to get out, of business. The Independent Payment Advisory Board set up under ObamaCare will advise the Department of Health and Human Services how whole categories of treatment are to be reimbursed by the federal government. Effective treatments for disease may be considered "not cost-effective" and government payment for the treatment denied to healthcare providers. Medicare patients will be the first impacted by this rationing of healthcare, and then others as government sponsored health insurance becomes more prevalent.

Contrary to the U.S. Supreme Court's ObamaCare ruling, the Constitution provides no authority to the federal government to require individuals and businesses to purchase health insurance, regardless of whether the penalty for failing to do so is called a "tax" or a fine. The founders never intended for the Commerce Clause or for taxation provisions in the Constitution to be vehicles for Congress or the courts to expand federal powers.

Insurance reform is needed, but the approach should be far different. We need legislation that cuts insurance costs through tort reform, by allowing health insurance purchasing across state lines, insurance portability and competition, and rewarding healthy lifestyle choices. These and other common sense solutions do not require new taxes and spending.

Tort reform, which caps certain damage awards, lowers the cost of malpractice insurance that doctors and healthcare providers pay and in turn, lowers the cost of healthcare and individual premiums. The ability to shop nationwide for health insurance will promote competition and drive down premiums. Allowing employees to carry health insurance with them from job to job will allow them to avoid expensive changeovers in health insurance. If you move from state to state and you like your current plan you should have the freedom to take your policy with you. Lower premiums will provide incentive for healthy lifestyle choices.

As your United States Representative, I will fight to defund ObamaCare throughout the budget process and then repeal it. I will promote private sector oriented, market based reforms of health insurance as described above which will leave control of healthcare with individuals and their doctors.

Conservative fighters are needed in Congress to ensure that the land of the free does not permanently become the land of redistribution and dependency. Conservative fighters are needed in Congress to make the heavy hand of government an unpleasant but bygone chapter of American history.

America's pillar of freedom can be restored, but time grows short. Help me to join the fight in the United States Congress.

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