Latta addresses healthcare alternative

Before the recent election, US Representative Bob Latta authored this column on the struggles that Obamacare has been suffering from and what House Republicans are working on to help out American businesses and families.

Just over six years ago, the most contentious piece of legislation passed under President Obama was signed into law. To advance the massive bill, known to most as Obamacare, the Administration and Democrat leaders in Congress used every legislative and rhetorical trick in the book including a late night Christmas Eve vote in the Senate.

It didn't take long to find out the critics of the law were right. Americans were promised that if they liked their healthcare, they could keep it, and if they liked their doctor, they could keep him or her. Both statements turned out to be completely wrong as millions were kicked off their plans and others found out that they would not be able to see their family doctor as networks shrunk.

At the same time, premiums continue to rise at shocking rates and families are paying higher deductibles and receiving fewer choices and less flexibility in return.

Obamacare has endured never-ending issues, but the problems with the law have snowballed in 2016. We're seeing the collapse of taxpayer supported co-ops including one in Ohio, leaving 22,000 individuals here without coverage. Out of the 23 insurance co-ops that were set up under Obamacare, only six remain. We've also seen the shuttering of five state exchanges, and many others that are losing tens of millions of dollars and struggling to survive. Major insurers continue to pull out of these marketplaces, leaving families with limited options of the insurer they can purchase a health plan from.

Due to insurers pulling out of the exchange, 1.4 million people in 32 different states will be booted off their healthcare plan.

Even ardent defenders of Obamacare are admitting there are major problems. Minnesota's Democrat Governor Mark Dayton, an early backer of Obamacare, recently stated that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is "no longer affordable" for families.

A number of my Democrat colleagues have publicly expressed their hope for fixing the law. Unfortunately, their "solutions" are to double down on the ideas that got us here in the first place - more government, more taxpayer money, and a one-size-fits-all model for families with diverse needs.

Democrats in Congress and Hillary Clinton have made it very clear that they will push for a public option. This huge expansion of government would shift tens of millions of Americans off of healthcare plans they like onto a government run system where bureaucrats call the shots on your healthcare. It would also mean even more costs borne by taxpayers.

The good news is that House Republicans have developed a "Better Way" for our nation's healthcare. The plan includes a number of provisions that would encourage more competition between insurers that would lead to more choices and flexibility at lower costs. For instance, the plan would provide a tax credit for people without coverage through their employer. Medicare, or Medicaid, allowing them to buy insurance on the open market. Even better, under this provision they could take their coverage from job to job or into retirement. "Better Way" would allow the purchase of insurance across state lines so that families can shop for more affordable policies.

The proposal would also put Americans in control and in charge of their own healthcare. Health savings accounts, which have grown rapidly in popularity, would be expanded in use under the House Republican's plan. These plans provide tax incentives that would allow you to save your own money, tax-free, to meet your healthcare needs. Because it's your money, it wouldn't just help you pay for a trip to the doctor's office, but you could use the money for over-the-counter medication or other basic health needs.

Along with helping individual patients, "Better Way" would also strengthen the overall healthcare system by embracing technology and cutting-edge research. The plan would permanently repeal the medical device tax that has stifled innovation of lifesaving and life-improving devices. It also streamlines the application backlog at the FDA, which would help bring down the rising cost of drugs and treatments.

Obamacare is failing, and it's hardworking Ohioans that are feeling the pain. The status quo is unworkable, and we badly need patient-centered healthcare that puts the patient in control. As we move out of one Administration and into another, let's pursue a 'Better Way.'