Fighting the President's Health Care Law

I'm not a career politician, I'm a doctor, so I know firsthand how important access to affordable health care is. The President's health care law does not address the rising costs of health care and will place the federal government in between doctors and patients. I believe Congress needs to fully repeal the President's law and replace it with common sense, free-market reforms like allowing health insurance to be sold across state lines.

What's Wrong With The President's Health Care Law?

The promises the President made about the law have not come true:

The Administration claimed you would be able to keep your own plan and your own doctor…and you can’t. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) now predicts that 20 million Americans could lose their employer-sponsored healthcare. This will force hardworking Northern Michigan citizens to purchase government-mandated health insurance in government-run exchanges or pay a penalty.
The Administration claimed the law would create jobs…it didn’t. The Administration claimed the law would “almost immediately” create 400,000 jobs. This hasn’t happened. I believe this law could cost Northern Michigander’s their jobs. CBO has concluded that the health care law will reduce the labor supply by 800,000 employees.
The Administration claimed it would lower costs…it hasn’t. President Obama claimed it would make care more affordable and “lower … premiums by $2,500 per family per year.” It does not. Since 2009, premiums have risen by $2,213. That’s less money in the pockets of Northern Michigan citizens and businesses. CBO projects that the law’s new mandates will force premiums to rise in the individual market by $2,100 per family.
The Administration claimed it would be affordable...it isn't. According to the CBO, the Affordable Care Act is projected to increase in cost by an additional $50 billion from last year’s projection, for a total of $1.48 trillion through 2021. To sum it up, the bill to all American taxpayers is rising, regulations are increasing, and insurance premiums are skyrocketing.

How To Make Health Care More Affordable:

As a surgeon, I know health care costs are hurting Northern Michgian families and businesses. I believe we can lower costs by enacting common sense free market based reforms, intsead of passing a 2,700-page bill that few people understood. Some key reforms I support are:

- Allowing Individuals to Purchase Health Insurance Across State Lines

Currently, health insurance shopping is limited to vendors within a state’s boundaries, while there are sizeable cost disparities between states. A family in Michigan has very few options from which to choose. Giving people more options and allowing them to shop for a health insurance policy will create competition, and lower costs. According to a national survey, 70 percent responding would like the opportunity to shop for insurance across state lines. The new health care law, however, does not give people this option.

-Expand Health Savings Accounts

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are popular savings accounts that provide cost effective health insurance to those who might otherwise be uninsured. Dr. Benishek supports improving HSAs by making it easier for patients with high-deductible health plans to use them to obtain access to quality care. The new health care law prevents the use of these savings accounts to purchase over-the-counter medicine.

- Medical Lawsuit Reform

I support ending frivolous and expensive lawsuits that end up forcing physicians nationwide to end their careers. I want to curb defensive medicine by enacting limits on punitive and non-economic damages, enforcing appropriate standards for awarding those damages, limiting attorney fees, setting forth requirements for proportional or ‘fair share’ liability, and establishing a reasonable statute of limitations.

-Pre-Existing Conditions and Keeping Your Children on Your Health Plan Until Age 26

I support policies such as making sure those with pre-existing conditions get affordable insurance and allowing parents to keep their children on their health plan until they are 26, but believe we should make these changes at the state level instead of giving more and more power to Washington politicians.