Michael Burgess: “Great point. And another point that is so often missed in this discussion, let's take the example of the National…”

“Great point. And another point that is so often missed in this discussion, let's take the example of the National Football League. You've got the Arizona Cardinals; I've got the Dallas Cowboys. A player who is lucky enough to be traded from Arizona to Dallas--I'm thinking it's an upgrade--their health insurance goes with them. If they had a knee injury in Arizona, they're covered for that knee injury day one in Dallas on the new team. But if the fan who wants to follow their favorite player moves from Arizona to Dallas, they cannot take that insurance policy with them, necessarily, across State lines. And, oh, by the way, that new policy you're buying in Texas, that knee injury may be excluded because, after all, it was a preexisting condition. We will not apply the same degree of portability for the little guy that we do for the person who's covered under the large multi-State plans, the ERISA plans that the multi-State corporations can provide for their employees. Make no mistake. I think that is wonderful that the large employers do that, and I don't think there is anyone among us who would want to see that system changed. But you are correct. We should provide the same breaks across the board.”