Calling the Denver Post op-ed a reality check, Colorado’s four GOP Congressmen, Reps. Buck, Coffman, Lamborn, and Tipton, joined forces to help educate Coloradans on why the left’s fear mongering over the Obamacare is unjustified – and just plain wrong.
Takeaway One: There’s a difference between having health insurance and having access to care.
“Health care isn’t affordable or accessible when the cheapest plan comes with an average deductible of more than $6,000, which is what people in the individual market will see this year. Health care isn’t affordable or accessible when a family has only one insurer to choose from and their premium is more than their mortgage payment, which is becoming a common occurrence across our state. Health care isn’t affordable when nearly 6 million people choose to pay a fine to remain uninsured rather than enroll in a plan.”
Takeaway Two: Millions will not lose their insurance overnight.
“We saw 9.6 million Americans gain insurance through their employer, but it is important to remember that the Obamacare employer mandate was delayed during 2014, so it’s hard to credit the law for these gains. Of the 6.5 million people who gained health insurance through Medicaid, 70 percent were already eligible for the program prior to its expansion under the ACA. We can attribute the streamlined application and increased public awareness for these gains — neither of which will go away when we repeal Obamacare.”
Takeaway Three: Millions with pre-existing conditions will not lose their coverage.
“The existing protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions would continue without Obamacare. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prohibits insurance companies from denying insurance to any individual who transfers between group markets. This means that if you have a pre-existing condition and you change jobs, your new insurer cannot increase your rates or deny you insurance because of your pre-existing condition.”
Takeaway Four: Republicans have offered – and will continue to offer – plans to replace Obamacare.
“…the narrative that Republicans have offered no plan to replace Obamacare is false. Republicans have introduced multiple alternative health care plans since 2010, and we encourage you to review them. The most recent replacement plan was offered by the Republican Study Committee, called the American Health Care Reform Act. The Empowering Patients First Act was a plan put forth in the 114th Congress by future Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Tom Price. Our Better Way Agenda also includes a blueprint for replacing Obamacare that is centered on more choices, lowers costs, and greater flexibility.”
But all this said, we expect the protests from the left to continue because this terrible idea is the left’s legacy. We’d tell Tipton, Lamborn and Buck to watch out for similar protests in their necks of the woods; however, we all know the protests were meant to smear candidates in competitive races, and for the time being, those three look to be in pretty safe districts.