On Fox News, Sen. Portman Discusses Need to Lower Health Care Costs, Address Ohio’s Opioid Crisis

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- The office of Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, issued the following news release:

During an interview today on Fox News, Senator Portman discussed the steps he believes the Senate should take following the House passage of the American Health Care Act. Portman discussed the skyrocketing costs of health care under Obamacare, and the need to come up with a solution that lowers these costs for Ohio families and businesses. He also said we must work to protect Ohio's Medicaid expansion population, particularly those receiving treatment for heroin and prescription drug abuse.

Excerpts from the interview can be found below and you can watch the video here (https://youtu.be/Ftx1A3F0p8Y).

PORTMAN ON THE NEED TO FIX OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

"I think there is a consensus among not just Republicans, but Republicans and Democrats that the law is not working. Even if Hillary Clinton had been elected and there had been a Democratic Senate, we would have to be fixing the failing Affordable Care Act. Obamacare hasn't worked. The premiums have skyrocketed, so have deductibles, so have co-pays, and there is a lack of competition. In my own state of Ohio about a third of our counties now only have one insurer in the private market and in many states it's even worse. This thing is collapsing of its own weight.

PORTMAN ON ADDRESSING OHIO'S OPIOD CRISIS:

"The Senate is going to take a look at this legislation that the House sent over and put our own imprint on it and that means improving it in certain ways. In my own state we have a big concern over the expanded Medicaid population, because given particularly the opioid issue, the addiction, heroin, prescription drugs now fentanyl, this is the first payer, it's the largest payer, about 50 percent of the cost of expanded Medicaid in Ohio is being used simply for substance abuse and mental health treatment. So we have to be sure we aren't pulling the rug out from under those folks. I think we can do that."

PORTMAN ON THE NEED TO LOWER HEALTH CARE COSTS:

"Yes we can do better. There is no question about it. Democrats in a private moment and Republicans here on the Senate side all agree with that -that this system is not working as intended. It is not covering the number of people it was intended. Costs have skyrocketed. You'll recall the costs were supposed to go down, they've gone up instead. Instead of being down $2,500 which was projected by President Obama, they've gone up by about $4,600 per family. 91 percent increase in Ohio in the individual market. Cost increase. 82 percent increase for small businesses. This thing is not working as intended. People haven't had the choice they were promised. So people have lost their plan and lost their doctor. I think we can do better by taking what the House has passed, improving it in certain ways, being sure we aren't pulling the rug out from under people who are currently getting coverage and at the end of the day, over time begin to see these premiums and these co-pays and deductibles level off and not continue to rise. This is the biggest problem we have really in our economy, too. Wages are flat and yet expenses are up and the number one increased cost is healthcare."