[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S192-S193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, before I make my remarks, I commend the
Senator from South Dakota and underscore what the Senator said
regarding the SKILLS Act passed by the House of Representatives.
I am the ranking member of the labor subcommittee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions. Six years ago the Workforce Investment
Act expired in its authorization, and for 6 years it has languished in
the bowels and in the heart of the Senate and the House of
Representatives, going unauthorized.
During that same 6-year period of time between 2008 and today,
America has experienced terrible unemployment, terrible job loss,
terrible increases in unemployment, and extensions of that
unemployment.
The Senator from South Dakota is exactly correct: If we were doing
our job and reauthorizing programs in the law today--such as the
Workforce Investment Act--and training people for the skills of the
21st century and the jobs of the 21st century, we wouldn't be talking
about unemployment compensation, we wouldn't be talking about the great
tragedies of America. We would be talking about America's greatest
prosperity. So I commend the Senator from South Dakota for pointing out
what is critically important for us to recognize as Members of the U.S.
Congress.
I come to the floor, though, to talk about the Affordable Care Act, I
will tell a couple real-life stories which came to me by email. But
before I do, my job is to do what the people of Georgia want me to do.
I have office hours when I am home. I answer my own phone calls. I try
to respond to the concerns they have. I try to see that people get
referred to the right place.
Since January 1, I have dealt with almost nothing but the Affordable
Care Act--or ObamaCare--and the consequences of that act, and what
effect it is having on the American people and the people of Georgia--
and, in particular, on the two great promises used on the floor of this
Senate to sell that legislation to the American people: One, if you
like your policy, you can keep it; and, if you like your doctor, you
can keep him or her. Both were clear, unequivocal promises.
I will tell two stories today that came to my attention which
illustrate how it was not true. And these are just two of many stories.
The first is from Jane.
Congressman, This is not my story but my friend's story,
Steve. . . . He has suffered with multiple myeloma for more
than 10 years. This is a disease that usually kills within 5
years of being diagnosed. But with the excellent health care
he has been able to receive through his health care program
he has had access to the Mayo Clinic and a myriad of drugs.
Now he has been told that his plan will be cancelled since
the plan does not meet the minimum standards set forth in the
ACA.
Now he can no longer continue his treatments because the
various plans have deemed the drugs he needs to stay alive as
experimental. WOW! Really that is just awful and not enough
is being said about this government take over of our lives is
affecting those that are critically ill.
And what about the promise made that if we liked our plan we can keep
it? Steve doesn't have a plan, but he still has multiple myeloma.
This story comes about the promise that: If you like your doctor, you
can keep them. This is from Felicia in Alpharetta, GA, a story I hear
more and more as I travel my State:
My husband and I are both currently paying individual
health care policies as he currently has a small business and
I used to own one. He is on a Kaiser HMO and I am on a PPO
with Blue Cross Blue Shield. We have
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both received numerous letters with conflicting information
regarding changes to our current policies. We are reasonably
intelligent people and yet we cannot figure out what is
actually happening with our health care nor do we believe the
government has any clue what is happening with this new
legislation. Also, in comparing an equivalent Obama care
policy to my current policy, I have only 10% of the doctors
available in network to what I currently have and of course,
my doctors are not in network. Please STOP and REPEAL this
ridiculous legislation. I DO NOT SEE ANY EVIDENCE that the
government can improve our current health care, only EVIDENCE
that it has caused much confusion, created wasted time,
wasted money, and driven Americans crazy!
These are two emails sent to me out of many more I could be reading.
But it is important for us to understand the impact the Affordable Care
Act is having on the American people and the people of my State. In
fact, I will share my personal experience from just over the Christmas
holidays.
In December, I enrolled through the DC health care plan to buy my
health care because all of Congress was moved into the DC health
exchange to comply with the ObamaCare legislation. I worked hard to try
and match the same care I had before under plan 105 Blue Cross/Blue
Shield under the government health care. I couldn't find exactly a good
enough match of PPO, but I came close--close in everything except
premium. The premium went up 20 percent. And I think most of the
American people--certainly people of my age--are realizing the same
type of experience where premiums are going up and up.
I would suspect the reason for the Executive order to extend next
year's open enrollment date beyond the election is in part because the
administration suspects what I suspect; that is, the realities of less
enrollment than thought, and fewer young people going into coverage
than thought is going to mean higher premiums, less access, and less
affordability.
But let me share another story which is really poignant. Fortunately,
I was able to help, but when I found out, it broke my heart. It is a
story about my grandson Jack and his speech therapist.
Jack is a great kid, a highly intelligent kid, but had some speech
problems and so had a special speech therapist named Dr. Tim. Over the
Christmas holidays I got to meet Dr. Tim, and we were talking about his
job, what he does as a speech therapist, and about Jack and all of his
improvements.
Dr. Tim turned to me and said: I don't want to burden you with my
personal problems, but my youngest daughter has cystic fibrosis and has
had it into her teenage years; and I have had health care coverage up
until a week ago, when I was notified my health coverage would no
longer pay for the drugs it takes to keep her alive.
For anybody in this Senate or in America who understands cystic
fibrosis, it is a terrible debilitating disease of the lungs and people
never used to live to the age of 21. But because of medicine, health
care, and breakthroughs in pharmaceutical therapy, people live past the
age of 21. In fact, we have a Georgian who lived into his 50s before he
passed from cystic fibrosis. But they cannot live if they don't have
the pharmaceutical therapy. And there are no substitutes and there are
no replacements.
This doctor lost his health care reimbursement for pharmaceuticals
for cystic fibrosis in part because of the judgments and the
applicability of the Affordable Care Act. To his credit and to the
credit of the health care system and the insurance industry, he was
able to in part replace it but not nearly as close to what he had on
the policy before.
These are just a few stories about Americans who are experiencing
terrible problems because of the change in our health care system.
The promises we made are not being kept. The promises that were made
to sell the Affordable Care Act to the American people and to the
Congress of the United States are not being kept. It is important for
us to understand that cannot stand. And if what happens next year
happens as I think it will, costs will skyrocket again for the American
people, access and affordability will go away or will not be nearly as
good as it is, and we will have taken a health care system which was
the envy of the world and turned it into a health care system that is
the biggest problem in the world.
I want things to work. I want to help the American people. I want
them to have access to affordable health care. I want them to have
access to their doctors and to be able to keep their policy. We need to
work toward that as we go through the tragedies of the implementation
in 2014 of the Health Care Act--ObamaCare--which today is America's No.
1 personal problem for the average American citizen.
I am grateful for the time, and I yield back the remainder of my
time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.
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