Republican Attorneys General Advocate For Expansion Of Health Care Options

WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Republican Attorneys General Association issued the following news release:

RAGA Chairman and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is leading a 16-state coalition, made up of 14 Republican attorneys general and two Republican governors, that is supporting the U.S. Department of Labor's rule allowing millions of Americans employed by small businesses to access quality, affordable health coverage via Association Health Plans.

The rule proposed by the Department of Labor will significantly increase health care options available to small businesses and self-employed individuals who were affected by Obamacare's failure to implement competition in the health care market. Obamacare was ruled unconstitutional by a Federal District Court in Texas last year, as a result of a lawsuit filed by many Republican attorneys general from across the country. Since that time, Republican attorneys general have been working with state and federal leaders to find Obamacare alternatives.

"The Association Health Plan reform is designed specifically to address the crisis of diminishing health care options for small business employees and owners," Attorney General Paxton said. "These customizable and competitive plans will not only expand the health care options available, but will put the power back in the hands of businesses of every size as they negotiate the best options for their employees."

Millions of Americans, hundreds of thousands of whom were previously uninsured, will have access to more affordable and flexible health care as a result of Association Health Plans, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Attorneys General Steve Marshall (AL), Chris Carr (GA), Curtis Hill (IN), Derek Schmidt (KS), Jeff Landry (LA), Tim Fox (MT), Wayne Stenehjem (ND), Mike Hunter (OK), Alan Wilson (SC), Jason Ravnsborg (SD), Herbert Slatery (TN), Sean Reyes (UT), Patrick Morrisey (WV), as well as Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin and Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant joined Texas in the friend-of-the-court brief.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has been making news over the last two months because he authored, and the Louisiana Legislature overwhelmingly passed, the "Health Care Coverage for Louisiana Families Protection Act," a state-based, Constitutionally-sound solution to protect pre-existing healthcare conditions. Once the "Health Care Coverage for Louisiana Families Protection Act" becomes law, Louisiana will become the first state in the nation to successfully replace Obamacare with a state-based alternative, thanks to Attorney General Jeff Landry's leadership.