WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) outlined the Patient Freedom Act of 2017, a comprehensive replacement plan for Obamacare that she recently introduced with her colleagues.
Click here or the image above to watch Senator Capito’s floor speech.
Remarks as prepared for delivery:
Mister President, as I rise today, we are a nation in a time of transition.
Recently the Senate took the first steps to repeal Obamacare, and begin a transition towards policies that will ensure continued access to health care with more affordability and flexibility for all. A stable transition will empower Americans to make the best health decisions for their families.
In my home state of West Virginia, Obamacare has been nothing short of devastating for many. It has meant skyrocketing premiums, co-pays, and deductibles for families and small businesses. It has meant little, if any, choice in insurers. And it has meant fewer choices in doctors and hospitals as networks shrink and plans become more restrictive.
Now, we must repair what can be fixed, scrap what is not working, and create a better health care reality for all Americans.
I’ve spoken with small business owners who have absorbed the cost of increased insurance, but their employees are getting less coverage. And to families who may have health insurance, but due to the high deductibles and co-pays are unable to use it.
I have also heard from those in my state who have real concerns about what this transition will mean for them. This is especially true for those who receive coverage through Medicaid.
For all of these West Virginians, the business owners and families who are currently struggling under Obamacare, and those who may have health insurance for the first time through the state’s Medicaid expansion, please know I am listening and hear your concerns.
As we move forward, I am working to balance each of these needs, and ensure access in West Virginia and across the nation to affordable, quality health care.
To achieve this goal, I am joining Senators [Bill] Cassidy, [Susan] Collins and [Johnny] Isakson to introduce an alternative to Obamacare.
The Patient Freedom Act of 2017 removes Obamacare’s most burdensome regulations. It provides states the opportunity and funding to ensure those currently covered by the Medicaid expansion are protected and retain their health care coverage.
It returns authority to the states, and provides more health care choices and better insurance options to individuals and families.
It keeps important consumer protections such as coverage for pre-existing conditions and extends coverage to children and dependents through the age 26.
It protects the federal Black Lung benefits program, which is especially important in West Virginia and our neighboring states.
In addition to all of these important changes, it gives states a path forward for replacing Obamacare. Specifically, following repeal, states would have three options.
First, a state could choose to reinstate Obamacare.
Or, a state could go without federal assistance and opt not to receive any of federal funding for tax credits or Medicaid expansion.
Finally, a state could choose an innovative replacement plan where the state determines its own insurance regulations. In this scenario, the state would be eligible for 95 percent of the funds it would have received under Obamacare and the Medicaid expansion would be fully funded.
For a state like West Virginia that has already expanded Medicaid, the state could either keep its Medicaid expansion or convert it to subsidies to help individuals purchase private insurance.
Under this plan, individuals would use a Roth Health Savings Account to purchase health care. This would enable uninsured individuals to purchase health insurance that meets their specific health needs.
States would have the option to auto-enroll uninsured individuals into a standard health care plan with individuals able to easily opt-out of coverage. Auto-enrollment would restore stability and soundness to insurance markets.
The Patient Freedom Act is a smart, innovative way forward and meets the varied needs of West Virginians and people across the nation.
The legislation reflects Senator Cassidy’s experience as a physician working with patients who were uninsured, and I greatly appreciate his leadership.
As other replacement plans are drafted and introduced in the Senate, I will evaluate those proposals to ensure they meet West Virginians’ health care needs.
I am committed to replacing Obamacare with a system that offers more choice, lowers cost and gives patients and families more control because together, we can achieve a health care system that works for all.
Thank you.
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