Rep. Paul Ryan Discusses the American Health Care Act with Vicki McKenna

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., issued the following news release:

You've already received a ton of information on the American Health Care Act, explaining how it will repeal and replace Obamacare with a truly patient-centered system that increases access to quality, affordable coverage. Here's a brief recap:

1) The facts;

2) Details on the four-committee process;

3) The truth about refundable tax credits; and

4) Paul in his element: Sleeves rolled up, delivering a 30-minute presentation on the American Health Care Act.

And last Friday, Paul spoke with Wisconsin's own Vicki McKenna about why the American Health Care Act is right for Wisconsinites and Americans across the country. But we know how it goes: On Fridays, everyone is wrapping up their work week, ready to enjoy their weekends. So in case you missed Paul's interview with Vicki, here are some of the highlights:

What the American Health Care Act achieves:

"This is what [the American Health Care Act] achieves, so you see the forest through the trees. We are defederalizing one entitlement and capping its growth rate; that's enormous. We're repealing another entire entitlement--that's Obamacare taxes and subsidies--and replacing it with Republican tax policy [and] Republican tax benefits that we've been talking about for years."

"And, we're reviving a market-based . . . patient-centered health care [system]. That is what we're here to do."

How health care reform will move through Congress:

"And so there are three parts to this play: [Act] one, the American Health Care Act, which is repealing the Obamacare spending, the Obamacare taxing, the Obamacare mandates, and replacing [it] with Republican health care policy that's been longstanding Conservative policy for decades."

"Act two: Tom Price has enormous discretion, because that's the way Obamacare worked, to deregulate the marketplace and then turn it back to the states, so that the states take over regulating health insurance."

"Act three: The other bills that we want to pass that's part of our agenda in health care but you can't put in reconciliation. . . . That's the Association of Health Plans; let the Wisconsin farmer buy her insurance through the American Farm Bureau. Let the small business person buy their insurance through the NFIB and use the bulk buying power of millions of small business owners. Let people buy insurance across state lines so that you have regulatory competition. Go after medical liability, tort reform. Those are things you cannot put in a budget reconciliation bill . . . so we are passing those separately."

Why the tax credits in the American Health Care Act work:

"A tax deduction, which you get at the end of the year only works for high income tax brackets who make enough money where they have a big tax liability, [so] they get a refund check because they have a big deduction at the end of the year."

"If you're [lower income], there is nothing for you in the tax code. Advanceable refundable tax credits says 'you get this tax benefit up front, at the beginning of the year and the month, so that you can go buy health insurance.'"

"The way to get a viable, free market in health care, to have real price pressure, real consumer pressure, is to have a viable individual market, and tax credits with [health savings accounts] do that."

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