By: Rep. Roy Blunt
As I’ve met with patients, doctors, small business owners and families to talk about health care, one thing is very clear: Missourians want to keep what works and fix what is broken. They are tired of bills whose importance is measured in length, rather than effectiveness. But the Washington Democrats’ response is to introduce a budget-busting, 1,990-page health care plan.
This plan is so unwieldy that no one knows exactly what’s in it. We do know that it will cost more than $1 trillion, increase premium costs, put a bureaucrat between you and your doctor and pay for most of it with Medicare cuts.
A rhetorical trick in this debate is arguing that we can do what the White House wants or we can do nothing. These aren’t the only two choices. I’ve drafted or sponsored 10 health care bills that can be debated individually. Find them at blunt.house.gov. Nothing I’ve proposed is hidden in a 1,990-page bill.
A significant hurdle to health coverage is a pre-existing medical condition. I’ve sponsored legislation to offer tax credits for Americans who purchase their own health insurance and expand risk pools for patients with pre-existing conditions, resulting in lower costs and more options (HR 3218).
I’ve sponsored legislation allowing small businesses to band together to provide coverage for their employees through small business health plans (HR 2607). Companies that don’t offer coverage could provide tax-free contributions to employees’ insurance plans under HR 3822.
Currently, Americans must buy their health insurance within their state, limiting the size of the insurance pool and inflating costs. Individuals should have access to any plan, regardless of whether it’s based in Kansas City, Mo., or Kansas City, Kan. (HR 3824).
Some young, healthy workers choose to forgo employer-offered health care plans. Thirty percent of Americans age 19 to 24 are uninsured. I introduced legislation to allow insurers to cover dependents up to age 25 under their parents’ plans, expanding options for 7.3 million Americans (HR 3887).
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