McCAIN & PERDUE INTRODUCE BILL TO FULLY REPEAL & REPLACE OBAMACARE

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Contact: Rachael Dean (McCain) - (202) 224-7130

Megan Whittemore (Perdue) - (202) 224-3521

Ryan Murphy (Price) - (202) 225-4501

McCAIN & PERDUE INTRODUCE BILL TO FULLY REPEAL & REPLACE OBAMACARE

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and David Perdue (R-GA) today introduced the Empowering Patients First Act, companion legislation to a bill introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Tom Price (R-GA), that would fully repeal and replace Obamacare with affordable and accessible solutions that put patients back in charge of their health care decisions.

"Since the president jammed Obamacare through Congress without a single Republican vote, the American people have been let down by higher health care costs, decreased quality of care, and fewer choices." said Senator McCain. "Families in Arizona and across the country should have the power to make their own medical decisions - not Washington bureaucrats. This bill puts patients and doctors back in charge of their health care by fully repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a free-market approach that strengthens the quality and accessibility of care."

"Our health care system needs to change, but Obamacare was never the right solution. Under Obamacare, people have had their insurance cancelled, lost access to their preferred doctors, and are paying higher premiums and deductibles," said Senator Perdue. "Now more than ever, Americans want to make their own health care decisions based on their needs, not government requirements. Dr. Price's alternative to Obamacare puts patients and families in charge by increasing accessibility, transportability, and insurability. There are alternatives to Washington bureaucrats taking over our health care system, and I am proud to sponsor this common-sense solution in the Senate."

"Obamacare is harming the American people - taking more money out of their pockets and denying individuals and families access to quality, responsive health care," said Congressman Price. "We need to repeal this disastrous law, stop its assault on the doctor-patient relationship, and then start over with reforms that empower patients, not Washington. I look forward to fighting alongside Senator McCain and Senator Perdue to enact those positive, patient-centered solutions."

Specifically, the Empowering Patients First Act would repeal Obamacare and replace it with health care based on policies that:

* Establish age-adjusted tax credits

* Ensure no one is priced out of the market, including individuals with pre-existing conditions

* Provide economic incentives for everyone to purchase coverage, without mandates

* Make coverage more portable to help ensure continuity of care

* Protect employer-sponsored insurance

* Promote wellness and improved care through economic incentives

* Curb defensive medicine and lawsuit abuse through tort reform

* Deliver greater coverage options, including Independent Health Pools (IHPs) and Association Health Plans (AHPs)

* Allow for the purchase of insurance across state lines

* Build on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and other models to drive down costs

* Create parity between the individual and large group markets

* Get government out of the way to protect the patient-physician relationship

Senator McCain previously introduced this bill in the 113th Congress.

A complete section-by-section overview of the bill is available at: http://tomprice.house.gov/sites/tomprice.house.gov/files/Section%20by%20Section%20of%20HR%202300%20Empowering%20Patients%20First%20Act%202015.pdf.