Trent Lott: “In New Jersey, the average cost for a single person to buy health insurance is over $4,000 a year. Right across the…”

“In New Jersey, the average cost for a single person to buy health insurance is over $4,000 a year. Right across the river in Pennsylvania, the average is less than $1,500 a year. This amendment will give consumers the option of buying the health insurance that meets their needs and is right for them, even if it is right across the border. This amendment will result in significant cost savings. A recent study found that consumers would save an estimated 77 percent in New Jersey, 22 percent in Washington, 21 percent in Oregon, and 16 percent in Maryland, if those States eliminated some of their mandates. There will also be cost savings from cutting redtape because insurance plans won't have to go through 50 different certification processes. By mandating benefits, State legislators have swelled the number of Americans without health insurance, making each health policy's coverage very different. They have added things such as acupuncture and marriage therapists and in vitro fertilization, things that may be important to some people but not to everyone. They should not be mandated to everyone. Finally, this amendment is widely supported by Americans across the political spectrum.”