Rep. Schneider Completes Tenth District Tour on Health Care Issues

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 -- Rep. Bradley Schneider, D-Ill., issued the following news release:

Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) completed his first tour of health care providers, hospitals, advocacy organizations, and other stakeholders throughout the Tenth District to hear concerns over the Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

"I was pleased to spend my first week home since taking office focused on the vital issue of quality, affordable health care and meeting with the professionals and volunteers working on the front lines of our nation's medical system," said Schneider. "Many shared deep concerns with the current effort underway in Washington to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would cause premiums to rise across the board, take away insurance from those depending on the law, and unleash disruptive uncertainty in the health care and insurance industries. I'm ready and willing to work with anyone serious about broadening coverage and lowering the cost of our health care system, but we will not make progress through the irresponsible wholesale repeal of the ACA."

This week, Schneider toured Erie Family Health Center in Waukegan and Highland Park Hospital, visited with Navigators who help Lake County residents enroll in the Affordable Care Act, and attended a panel discussion hosted by Live4Lali on substance abuse issues. He also met with local advocates from the Alzheimer's Association, healthcare executives from the Healthcare Leadership Council, and conducted a town hall meeting with employees of Marathon Pharmaceuticals.

On Tuesday, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released a report showing the Republican repeal plan will severely raise premiums and increase the number of uninsured. According to CBO estimates, in the first year after repeal, premiums would increase by an additional 20-25 percent and 18 million could lose their insurance. In the decade following repeal, premiums would more than double over current estimates and 32 million would lose their insurance.

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