Next month marks five years since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, was signed into law. We’ve all heard stories stemming from Obamacare: loss of coverage, higher costs, technology glitches, and red tape a mile long. But for all too many American families, these stories are real life nightmares.
The fact of the matter is that the President’s health care law is not working to improve the affordability or availability of health care for many Americans. This is the message I have consistently heard from families and businesses in the Sixth District of Virginia. The examples, unfortunately, are plentiful.
One business owner contacted my office after his employees did not receive their insurance cards. As it turns out, the insurance company was not required to provide coverage to this small business because it did not meet a certain employee number threshold. Instead, the business was forced to purchase different coverage at a 30 percent increase. For many businesses, it is difficult to absorb such a significant cost increase.
From Luray to Roanoke, I have heard from numerous families that their premiums are simply unaffordable. One family of four who paid $603 per month for a policy with dental coverage last year discovered that the 2015 rate for the same policy, even without dental, is now well over $1,500 per month. I receive letters, emails, and phone calls almost every day from individuals whose premiums have drastically increased. I cannot understate the number of families who’ve contacted me to share their stories over the past two years. Many families in the Sixth District are proof that contrary to the White House’s claims, you cannot, in fact, keep your health care plan if you like it.
Hearing these horror stories is difficult, especially when many Democrats in Congress and the Administration are not willing to act with the House to address the problems presented by this health care law. As the 2015 enrollment period for Obamacare draws to a close and the problems continue to come to light, it’s clear that not even the strongest glue would fix the cracks in this law. The best thing Congress can do for the people we represent is to get rid of this Washington bureaucrat managed, one-size-fits-all health care program.
Recently, the House passed H.R. 596 to fully repeal Obamacare. The bill doesn’t stop there. It also instructs lawmakers to craft better solutions for more effective, patient-centered health care reform. It’s a hard thing to admit when you’re wrong, but it’s time for President Obama to acknowledge that this law was not the best prescription for Americans’ health care needs. Let’s work together to find appropriate remedies to address the challenges folks face in getting the coverage they both want and need.
Bob Goodlatte represents Virginia’s Sixth District in Congress.
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