[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15615-15616]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                THE HIGH COST OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I received an email from 
Scott, a constituent of the 5th District who lives in Boone, North 
Carolina. Here is what he had to say:

       With all of the talk to this point about the effects of the 
     Affordable Care Act, it has just turned into brutal reality 
     for me and my family. I received a letter from Blue Cross 
     Blue Shield this week regarding my coverage. All of the 
     promises of if you like your current health coverage, you 
     will be able to keep it is absolutely untrue. Blue Cross has 
     dropped my current plan that I was relatively happy with and 
     was expecting to continue using. Blue Cross will be moving me 
     into a new plan where the cost is devastating for my family. 
     My monthly premium is increasing 55 percent, $3,816 more per 
     year, and my out-of-pocket expenses will cost my family an 
     additional $3,650 per year. So, all in all, I will be paying 
     an additional $7,466 next year for health insurance and 
     copayments on top of my already high premiums. I do not 
     qualify for any of the subsidies either, so this one is all 
     on the back of this middle class family of four. I have a 4-
     year-old daughter and a 2-year-old daughter. I have no choice 
     but to keep them covered any way I can as any father would. 
     But the new outlays of $7,466 will be a huge burden. We will 
     all have to make some big changes in our family to be able to 
     afford this. I knew the Affordable Care Act would be tough on 
     someone like myself, but I had no idea how hard it would hit 
     me and my family.

  Mr. Speaker, Scott is not alone. Families across this country are 
baffled by ObamaCare sticker shock. Accepting the devastating truth 
that costs will be much higher for them next year, some families are 
trying to

[[Page 15616]]

find a way to make it work, but they can't even get to the Web site.
  But what do they hear from Washington? ObamaCare apologists say, Be 
patient with us. We will get these glitches sorted out. It will take a 
few years, and you will all be used to it.
  Mr. Speaker, if only those voices in Washington would be willing to 
give the American people the same time and patience they are demanding. 
A bipartisan House majority has asked for families to have 1 penalty-
free year to figure out what ObamaCare will mean for their families and 
for their budgets, 1 penalty-free year, not unlike the penalty-free 
year the President gave to Big Business all on his own.
  Fairness: that is what we have asked for. Fairness: that is what 
Senate Democrats are refusing to discuss. Fairness: that is what the 
President describes as ransom.

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