Healthcare Reform Update: It's Decision Time

The question congress must, once again, answer: Whose Side Are You On? Will you side with working people who simply want to work hard, provide a decent life for their family, and have their shot at the American dream? Or will you stand with insurance companies who hike premiums just to make an extra buck?

The President’s Healthcare Proposal.
His proposal begins to give working families the health care security they’ve been losing over the past 16 years.

• It makes insurance more affordable by providing the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history, reducing premium costs for tens of millions of families and small business owners who are priced out of coverage today. This helps over 31 million Americans afford health care who do not get it today – and makes coverage more affordable for many more.
• It sets up a new competitive health insurance market giving tens of millions of Americans the exact same insurance choices that members of Congress will have.
• It brings greater accountability to health care by laying out commonsense rules of the road to keep premiums down and prevent insurance industry abuses and denial of care.
• It will end discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions.
• It puts our budget and economy on a more stable path by reducing the deficit by $100 billion over the next ten years – and about $1 trillion over the second decade – by cutting government overspending and reining in waste, fraud and abuse.

The President’s Changes.

• Eliminates “special deals” such as the arrangement made for Nebraska;

• Includes a series of measures proposed by Republicans to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse;
• Includes a new provision to prevent insurance companies from making arbitrary rate hikes like the recent 39 percent increase in California.

Path Forward. For the 14,000 who lose their insurance every single day. We have no choice but to get this done. It’s time for Republicans to decide. Are they willing to do anything besides try to kill healthcare reform and keep insurance companies in power? If not, it’s time for an up or down vote.

Bipartisanship.  Thursday is not the beginning of the bipartisan process; it’s the culmination of more than a year of negotiations. It’s decision time for Republicans.

Republican Idea: “Let families and business buy health insurance across state lines.”
White House Plan: The health insurance exchange gives families and businesses more choices and makes private insurance companies compete for business based on cost and quality.  For the first time ever, Americans who lose their jobs, change jobs, move out of state, get divorced or sick will still have quality, affordable coverage.

Republican Idea: “Allow individuals, small businesses, and trade associations to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices.”
White House Plan: The proposal creates a new insurance marketplace that lets individuals and families without coverage and small business owners pool their resources to increase their buying power to make insurance coverage more affordable.

Republican Idea: Allow states “to create their own innovative reforms that lower health care costs.”
White House Plan: States will have the option to undertake a number of reforms to improve the quality of how care is delivered.

Republican Idea: “End junk lawsuits that contribute to higher health care costs.”
White House Plan: States will be eligible to receive grants to develop, implement and evaluate innovative medical malpractice reforms.

Excise Tax. It is great news that the President recognized the need to lower the burden for all working Americans. The increased threshold for the excise tax and it starting in 2018 is yet another example of how unions fight for all working people and raise the standards for everyone - whether it is sick leave, health and safety laws, or this.