[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 169 (Monday, December 2, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H7368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               OBAMACARE

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, 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.
  These are just a few of the things that could have been done 4 years 
ago which were omitted by the Democrats in charge.

                          ____________________