Political Quotes

“4 or 5 years ago when health care reform was being talked about on the floor of this House, one of the ideas that the Republicans put forth was increasing competition, the sale of health insurance across State lines. We all see with the sale of automobile insurance, 15 minutes can save you 15 percent. Everybody knows that. Why not afford that same cost savings for people buying health insurance? But the Democrats have never accepted it. But now the Affordable Care Act requires that some of my constituents in Texas purchase their insurance on the D.C. exchange; clearly, that is selling across State lines. The problem is it is not lower cost; it is higher cost. And the problem is it doesn't increase your access to a physician; it decreases your access to physicians. High deductible health plans, I have had a high deductible plan for 15 years. One of the highest deductibles I ever had was last year of $3,500. That cost now is almost doubled in the bronze plans that are available in the exchange in my district, and we don't allow constituents to pair that up with a health savings account. If we really wanted to get the correct market incentives, we would allow the pairing of these high deductible plans with the health savings accounts. What about the fact that 47 percent of people are paying higher premiums, according to eHealthInsurance? Why don't we allow them the same deductibility in the small group market that we allow employers in the large group market.…”