Rep. Roe: Lowering Cost of Care, Increasing Coverage Options for East Tennesseans
Since its passage, we've seen promise after promise broken when it comes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the care it was supposed to provide all Americans. The ACA, or Obamacare, has been an abysmal failure. Under Obamacare, Tennesseans were promised more coverage options, lower costs and an easier-to-navigate health care market. What we got was the opposite: higher premiums, fewer plans and a more restrictive system that makes it difficult for patients and their families to shop for a plan that meets their needs. Ignoring warnings that Obamacare would fail,
Now, many of those same
As you may know, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the penalty for the individual mandate, meaning families who cannot afford insurance are not taxed for going without coverage. Still, we know that simply providing relief from the burdensome penalties of Obamacare isn't enough, which is why earlier this month, the Trump administration announced an expansion of short-term, limited duration insurance (STLDI) plans. This expansion will provide coverage options for the Americans left behind by the high costs and slim offerings of the ACA, and the administration estimates these plans will cost between 50 to 80 percent less than Obamacare plans. STLDI plans were rolled back to three-month durations under the Obama administration, which is not workable for the many Americans faced with life transitions like changing jobs or taking a year off from school, or for the middle-class families who are ineligible for subsidies but still cannot afford the high costs of Obamacare. The new rules announced by the Trump administration would allow these plans to last for twelve months. Further, under the new rules, STLDI plans can be renewed for up to 36 months, ensuring no American is left without affordable coverage options no matter their life situation or income. In June, the Trump administration also announced expanded access to Association Health Plans. This will allow small businesses and workers to band together to compete in the same way large employers can to negotiate for affordable health coverage for their employees.
Another thing I've long pushed for is transparency in the cost of health care. It's never made sense to me how the same procedure can have a huge price disparity depending on where it takes place, with little to no transparency. Patients should have the option to shop for the very best care they can afford, and cost information should be readily available for patients and their families as they decide where to seek care. This was a provision I included in my legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare, the American Health Care Reform Act, and I was glad to see
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