Thank
you
for
subscribing
to
my
E-Newsletter!
I
wanted
to
share
my
recent
Sunday
column
in
LNP
about
health
care.
You
can
read
it
below!
You
can
also
stay
up-to-date
on
what
I'm
doing
in
Pennsylvania
and
Washington
by
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me
on
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and
Twitter.
The
status
quo
is
not
the
solution
to
our
health
care
problems

In
2010,
supporters
of
“Obamacare”
said
health
care
costs
would
decrease.
They
said,
“If
you
like
your
plan,
you
can
keep
it.
If
you
like
your
doctor,
you
can
keep
your
doctor.”
Instead,
Pennsylvanians
face
skyrocketing
premiums
and
unaffordable
deductibles.
They
also
have
been
forced
from
their
plans
and
have
had
to
find
new
doctors.
People
in
five
states
and
in
nearly
one-third
of
counties
nationwide,
along
with
40
percent
of
Pennsylvanians
on
the
exchange,
have
only
one
insurance
provider
option.
Last
year,
the
Pennsylvania
Insurance
Department
approved
2017
“Obamacare”
rate
hikes
averaging
32.5
percent
for
individual
plans
and
7.1
percent
for
small
group
plans.
LNP’s
“2016
in
Review:
Lancaster
County’s
Top
Business
Stories”
highlighted
the
devastating
impact
of
this:
“With
premiums
rising
40
percent
on
average,
(Lancaster)
became
the
most
expensive
market
in
Pennsylvania
for
individual
insurance
plans
sold
under
the
Affordable
Care
Act.
The
number
of
plans
offered
shrank
from
37
to
nine.”
The
status
quo
is
failing.
You
deserve
patient-centered
health
care
that
provides
access
to
care
from
the
doctor
and
the
plan
you
choose,
at
an
affordable
price.
Congress
is
working
to
solve
the
problems
and
create
a
health
care
system
that
achieves
these
priorities.
First,
we
need
to
overhaul
our
nation’s
failing
health
care
system.
We
need
to
end
“Obamacare’s”
costly
mandates
and
provide
for
a
free-market
system
that
will
lower
premiums.
Individuals
and
families
need
access
to
more
options.
We
need
to
provide
tax
relief
for
hardworking
Americans
to
help
make
health
care
affordable.
Next,
Health
and
Human
Services
Secretary
Tom
Price
must
take
steps
to
help
relieve
“Obamacare’s”
regulatory
burdens.
Regulatory
power
must
be
returned
to
the
states
where
it
belongs
with
governors
being
allowed
to
run
state-specific
Medicaid
programs,
instead
of
a
top-down,
one-size-fits-all
approach.
But
we
can’t
stop
there.
Our
health
care
system
is
much
broader
than
this:
Only
7
percent
of
Americans
receive
health
insurance
through
“Obamacare.”
Congress
should
work
to
pass
reforms
such
as
allowing
the
purchase
of
insurance
across
state
lines,
making
prescription
drugs
more
affordable,
and
reducing
the
number
of
frivolous
lawsuits
that
increase
costs
and
restrict
access
to
care.
Reforms
are
needed
to
ensure
that
our
system,
as
a
whole,
works
for
everyone.
Right
away,
we
need
to
protect,
preserve
and
improve
Medicare.
Today
an
individual
working
past
65
and
maintaining
employer-sponsored
health
care
faces
a
lifetime
late-enrollment
penalty
on
their
future
Medicare
plan.
I
introduced
legislation
to
end
this
penalty.
This
one
change
can
make
health
care
more
affordable
for
seniors.
We
also
need
to
make
it
easier
for
small
businesses
to
promote
a
healthy
workforce
and
offer
more
affordable
health
care
coverage.
The
House
recently
passed
legislation
I
co-sponsored
to
do
just
that.
The
Small
Business
Health
Fairness
Act
would
empower
small
businesses
to
band
together
through
association
health
plans
and
negotiate
insurance
costs
on
behalf
of
their
employees.
This
legislation
would
put
small
businesses
hit
hard
by
“Obamacare”
mandates,
soaring
costs
and
limited
choices
on
a
level
playing
field
with
larger
companies
and
unions.
Next,
to
help
ensure
that
children
have
access
to
high-quality
care,
I
am
focusing
on
two
areas
that
require
action:
children
who
face
medically
complex
health
challenges;
and
a
severe
shortage
of
pediatric
physicians
nationwide.
The
bipartisan
Advancing
Care
of
Exceptional
Kids
Act
would
improve
the
coordination
and
delivery
of
care
for
children
facing
complex
health
challenges.
This
bill
would
protect
access
in
a
timely
manner
to
the
best
health
providers
for
those
children
most
in
need.
It
has
been
introduced
in
the
Senate
and
will
be
introduced
in
the
House.
I
will
be
a
co-sponsor
and
will
work
to
secure
support.
Additionally,
we
need
to
ensure
that
pediatric
clinics
and
hospitals
have
the
resources
and
staff
to
care
for
our
children
appropriately.
This
summer,
Congress
needs
to
reauthorize
Children’s
Health
Insurance
Program,
and
I
believe
we
can
expand
Graduate
Medical
Education
pediatric
opportunities.
The
next
generation
of
medical
professionals
is
eager
to
begin
providing
high-quality
health
care
to
children.
When
we
reauthorize
CHIP,
I
will
work
to
ensure
that
we
are
expanding
opportunities
to
add
highly-trained
medical
professionals
to
pediatric
staffs
across
Pennsylvania
and
nationwide.
I
am
working
to
keep
my
promise
to
repeal
and
replace
“Obamacare”
with
a
patient-centered
health
care
system
that
lowers
costs
and
increases
choices.
We
also
must
work
to
protect
the
most
vulnerable
among
us.
At
this
moment,
we
face
a
unique
opportunity
to
achieve
these
goals,
and
I’m
not
going
to
waste
it.
We
cannot
afford,
nor
should
we
settle
for,
the
status
quo.
We
desperately
need
success
and
I’m
committed
to
doing
my
part
to
achieve
it.
You
can
also
read
the
column
on
my
website
here.
*** |