[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 166 (Wednesday, November 20, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        A BAD DEAL FOR AMERICANS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 20, 2013

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, four years ago this month, I 
stood on the House floor to oppose the so-called health care reform 
bill (ie: Obamacare), stating my firm belief that:
  ``We can and must reform our health care system and provide better 
solutions for those currently uninsured or underinsured. But we must do 
so without jeopardizing the quality of health care for these currently 
insured people and families, many of whom will see their own health 
care access and quality seriously eroded under the bill.''
  Unfortunately for millions of Americans, as I and many others 
predicted four years ago, Obamacare is expensive, forcing them to lose 
their coverage and undermining our world class system of care. The 
law's implementation is resulting in many patients having less--not 
more--health care and they have less say in who their doctor is, what 
procedures and medications are covered, and what hospitals remain in 
their network.
  The President's promise to insured individuals--that ``if you like 
your insurance plan, you will keep it. No one will be able to take that 
away from you'' and ``if you like your doctor, you will be able to keep 
your doctor. Period''--was, simply, a false promise and a foolish one.
  We knew then, and are seeing now, that this was not the case. In 
fact, my colleagues and I raised these concerns during the debate and 
several of my speeches included my grave concerns that the bill would 
cause most Americans to lose access to their current health insurance 
coverage.
  At the time of passage, according to the Urban Institute, 
approximately 90% of the people in my district had health care 
coverage. Now, the New Jersey Association of Health Plans estimates 
that in my state alone, 800,000 people-150,000 with individual plans 
and 650,000 in employer sponsored small group plans--have or will have 
their coverage disrupted by Obamacare.
  In fact, I have been contacted by many of these constituents who are 
losing their current health care coverage. One constituent from 
Lakewood wrote: ``I just got a letter from [my insurance company] that 
my private insurance policy is being terminated due to the new Health 
Care Law requirements. . . I am struggling middle class citizen. Where 
is the president's promise that we will be able to keep our policies?''
  Another constituent from Fair Haven wrote: ``I am a Vietnam veteran. 
. . . my wife is a 60 year old breast cancer survivor. . . . [Her 
insurance company] just referred her to a new policy that is almost 
twice the cost of the one she had.''
  Similarly, four years ago, I stated: ``The bill also guts Medicare 
Advantage plans, which offer additional coverage to over 11 million 
seniors--15,983 in my district alone--who choose Medicare Advantage 
plans as the coverage that best meets their needs.''
  Mr. Fredrick Thompson from Hamilton commented: ``My 96 year old 
mother-in-law who has lived with us for the past 16 years with Social 
Security as her only income just received a letter from [her insurance 
company] canceling her [Medicare Advantage policy]. This policy was 
cancelled due to new standards imposed by the Affordable Care Act 
(ACA). A new policy will increase her cost by 83% plus add a deductible 
that did not exist in the original policy.''
  The impact on future Medicare Advantage enrollment is unclear but the 
costs have increased for seniors, like Mr. Thompson's mother-in-law, 
many of who can ill afford a higher cost of living.
  Many more of my constituents have seen their costs rise dramatically 
and others are fearful that they will soon receive a cancellation 
notice in the mailbox stating they are being pushed off their current 
plans and must find a new, more expensive plan on a website that 
doesn't work and does not appear to have the ability to keep their 
required personal data safe and secure. This is unacceptable.
  The impact of Obamacare on small businesses is also troubling--and 
was predicted. One business owner in my district, April Zay from 
Hamilton, wrote to me: ``I am a small business owner in Mercer County 
NJ. I am concerned about the effect of the Affordable Care Act on my 
business and family. . . I have been trying my best to keep my business 
afloat, but with the cost of health plans and the loss of revenue is 
putting my livelihood at risk.''
  Since the latest recession, small businesses accounted for 67 percent 
of the net new jobs in this country. They are the engine of a sustained 
job market and a recovery. Controlling costs and making healthcare 
policies affordable for these small businesses should be our focus. 
Unfortunately, Obamacare--both its insurance mandate's sticker price 
and the crippling taxes on individuals and businesses--incentivizes 
part-time employment and accelerates the trend away from employer 
sponsored plans.
  My record--on Medicare, Community Health Centers, the State 
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Veterans health care, and 
children with special needs--demonstrates that I remain fully committed 
to ensuring the federal government plays an appropriate role and 
provides a health care safety net for those in need of support.
  The solutions we put forward during the debate on Obamacare to 
replace it with responsible health care reform can provide credible 
health insurance coverage for everyone, strengthening the health care 
safety net, and incentivizing quality, innovation, and prevention. 
Reforming the private health insurance market to eliminate denials for 
pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps and promoting portability 
between jobs and geographic areas, including across state lines, are 
proposals I supported and have continued to support. I also support 
modernizing the tax code to promote affordability and individual 
control and provide assistance to low-income and middle-class families 
who seek insurance but cannot now afford the cost.
  The administration's temporary decision to allow insurance companies 
to grandfather in existing plans is not sufficient to stop the 
bleeding. Obamacare must be suspended and replaced. Suspending and 
replacing Obamacare would fulfill the President's promise: If you like 
your insurance plan, you can keep it. Then we can work on real reform 
that puts patients first, lowers costs and advances solutions rather 
than creates new problems.

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