[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2166]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                                H.R. 596

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 11, 2015

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 
596, the latest in a series of seemingly never ending attempts by House 
Republicans to destroy and dismantle the Affordable Care Act. This 
legislation, which has no chance of becoming law, would be nothing 
short of catastrophic for the millions of Americans who receive 
critical benefits and health care coverage under the ACA.
  The Affordable Care Act is working. Individuals with preexisting 
conditions are no longer unfairly kept out of the insurance 
marketplace. Health care premiums are growing at the slowest rate in 
nearly a half century. Young adults are able to remain on their 
parents' health coverage; families can purchase affordable health 
coverage on the health insurance exchanges; and seniors are receiving 
real help with their prescription drug costs as we eliminate the Part D 
donut hole.
  Despite these successes, House Republicans are continuing their 
quixotic pursuit to undermine this law using the same old and 
discredited arguments they have tried in the past. Instead of outlining 
a replacement to the ACA, Republicans want to take away comprehensive 
health coverage from millions of Americans and repeal critical patient 
protections.
  In the last year, I've had many constituents share deeply personal 
stories of the positive impact the ACA has had on their lives. Below is 
one such story from Amy and Mark Adams-Westin of St. Paul, Minnesota.

                       The ACA Is Working for Us

                            (By The Westins)

       We've been married since 1995. In the spring of 1997 Amy 
     was diagnosed with stage-two breast cancer. A month earlier, 
     Mark had just gotten group health insurance through his 
     employer. A year, two surgeries, 6 chemo treatments, and a 
     full course of radiation later, Amy was finished with her 
     treatments. It was now time to rebuild; fortunately our 
     finances were spared the catastrophe.
       We both have been musicians/composers/performers for all of 
     our lives, with dreams of making our love our profession. 
     After going through this life and death struggle, we decided 
     to honor our gifts and talent and go for it. Of course this 
     meant winding down, then giving up, Mark's day job. When we 
     felt we had enough cushion in the bank, we made the leap.
       We applied to our health insurance provider to change our 
     group policy to a private family policy. By this time over 11 
     years had passed since Amy's breast cancer treatments. Our 
     provider had no problem accepting Mark, but they refused 
     Amy's coverage due to the previous conditions of her breast 
     cancer (which shocked her oncologist), and fall allergies 
     (which shocked us).
       Fortunately, Amy got coverage from a Minnesota state 
     mandated program that covered folks refused by private 
     companies. Unfortunately, both our monthly premiums (from 
     $300 to $650) and our yearly deductible (from $300 to 
     $17,500) skyrocketed. And many of the preventative measures 
     (mammograms, colonoscopies, even flu shots . . .) became part 
     of our deductibles, which we had to pay out of pocket. 
     Somehow we managed to scrape by, but it meant that we often 
     had to choose between seeing our doctors or paying our 
     premiums. Now let me say that we are both non-smokers. Mark 
     does not drink and Amy has an occasional glass of wine. We 
     are mostly vegetarian (Mark is total veg since 1973), and 
     exercise regularly.
       As musicians, a great percentage of our work is in 
     independent, assisted living, transitional, and nursing Elder 
     Care facilities. It is an absolute joy to see how important 
     and healing our music can be to so many. We help turn lights 
     on every day. For several years, we struggled from paycheck 
     to paycheck to keep turning those lights on.
       On May 1, 2013 Mark turned 62 and began to collect Social 
     Security, which he'd been paying into for almost 50 years. 
     That check covers our housing. In March of 2014 when the ACA 
     took effect, our premiums and deductible were reduced into 
     the affordable range. Also our coverage for preventative 
     measures are now included.
       Our response to Social Security and the ACA was ``WHEW!'' 
     These two programs have changed our lives, along with the 
     lives of millions of others. We can now continue to live our 
     American dream, while bringing our music to those precious 
     folks who need it the most.
       Our health care system was broken and breaking this nation 
     until passage of the ACA. While we weren't among the 
     40,000,000 plus uncovered men, women, and children, our 
     coverage was strangling our finances.
       The ACA, contrary to oft repeated myth, is in fact working 
     and making millions of lives better. We must continue to 
     refine the ACA and health care in America until all of the 
     cracks that hard working folks and their children have been 
     allowed to fall into are filled and the basic cost of 
     healthcare is reduced to sane sustainable levels. To repeal 
     the ACA, which has been the constant threat and ``promise'' 
     of the opposition, would be to turn back the clock and 
     recreate the void that endangered far too many lives.

  Mark and Amy's story is just one of many that I have heard about how 
the Affordable Care Act is helping to improve Minnesotans' health and 
economic security. It is time for Congressional Republicans to stop 
refighting the battles of the past and focus on the challenges facing 
our communities. I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues--
Republicans and Democrats--to enact policies that will benefit middle 
class families and strengthen our economy.

                          ____________________