Health Care Reform is A Top Issue for Tennesseans

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Health Care Reform is A Top Issue for Tennesseans Wednesday morning, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee regarding the rollout of the president's health care law. Unfortunately, the hearing resulted in more questions than answers. We still do not know exactly when the website to purchase insurance will be functional, how many people have signed up for coverage and most disturbingly, I believe the president knowingly misled the American people when he guaranteed that Americans who liked their health care plan could keep it under his law. A recent CBS News report stated that, despite the president's claims no one would lose their insurance under his law, more than 2 million Americans will lose their current insurance plans. One thing is clear: this law is causing significant disruption for Americans purchasing health insurance. How can the government require citizens to purchase a product without giving them a way to do so? This week, I cosponsored two pieces of legislation that would help individual Americans avoid the most immediate harm being caused by the law. One bill simply waives the penalty temporarily for Americans who are unable to purchase insurance. The other bill would allow insurers to continue selling plans they offered at the beginning of 2013 even if they fail to meet the law's new criteria – which truly means if you like your coverage, you can keep it. Neither of these bills would affect the coverage options available, so I would hope the president and congressional Democrats would be willing to fulfill their promises to the American people. I continue to believe this law will cause significant harm to our health care system, and have voted more than forty times to repeal all our parts of it. Some have called these votes a fool's errand, but the president signed seven of those bills into law. Because I am so convinced this law is bad medicine for America, I wrote and introduced an alternative plan, which has nearly 100 cosponsors. While we work on convincing others that this bill is the wrong way forward we should ensure that individual Americans are treated the same as employers and that the promises that were made that allowed this bill to become law are kept. Tuesday evening, I held a telephone town hall for constituents in the First District. These are a great way for me to hear from East Tennesseans when votes require me to be in Washington. While several important issues were raised by callers, about 80 percent of the questions posed were health-care-related. It is very clear that Tennesseans still have many questions about the president's health care law and how it will impact their families. During my telephone town hall, I asked participants if they would support delaying the penalty to purchase insurance. More than 75 percent of callers that answered said they would support delaying the penalty, which is in line with what I've been hearing in conversations with folks back home. Constituents in the First District realize there are problems with this law and are looking for relief from it. I believe it's unfair under any circumstance to fine Americans for not purchasing a product, but it's unacceptable to fine them for not purchasing insurance when the website intended to be the main resource to research and purchase the product is clearly not functional. At this point, it shouldn't matter if you are for or against ObamaCare. Regardless of your political beliefs, this law is not working and it is time we work together and find bipartisan ways to help ease the pain ObamaCare is causing around the county. The American people don't need more empty rhetoric and broken promises, they need the flexibility to do what's best for their families. I hope that we can work together and delay the penalty for purchasing insurance and let people choose whether to opt in because, as the problems with this rollout show, people deserve better. Please rest assured I will continue to demand accountability from the administration and work tirelessly to protect East Tennesseans from this deeply flawed law. Feel free to contact my office if we can be of assistance to you or your family. Our contact information can be found on our website, www.roe.house.gov.   CONNECT WITH US E-News Sign-up Forward to a Friend Contact Phil TAKE A SURVEY Do you believe the penalty for not purchasing insurance should be delayed? Yes, I believe the penalty for not purchasing insurance should be delayed.  No, I do not believe the penalty for not purchasing insurance should be delayed.  I am unsure at this time.          Choose Your Answer Washington, DC Office 407 Cannon House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6356 Fax: (202) 225-5714 Kingsport Office PO Box 1728 Kingsport, TN 37662 Phone: (423) 247-8161 Fax: (423) 247-0119 Morristown Office 1609 College Park Drive, Suite 4 Morristown, TN 37813 Phone: (423) 254-1400 Fax: (423) 254-1403