A moment with the Congressman
Moving in a new direction
Rep. Jim Renacci
As Donald Trump takes office as the 45th President of the United States, our country is set to move in a new direction. Our new president represents a rebuke to the status quo. And as I begin my fourth term in office, I look to the future with optimism, hopeful that this transition of power will bring change to our nation.
As a businessman, I believe President Trump understands the importance of negotiation and consensus-building to creating a successful business. As a business owner myself, I know these are two skills that are crucial to enacting a successful legislative agenda. I am confident that President Trump will use his business skills to the benefit the political process in Washington.
One of the issues being most discussed on Capitol Hill currently is the fate of Obamacare. New polling shows over half of Americans would like to see Obamacare repealed, or at the very least, undergo major changes. Forty-four percent of respondents who support dismantling Obamacare do so because healthcare costs have become too expensive.
The numbers bear this out. On average, premiums have increased 22 percent nationwide this past year alone. One third of counties, including five entire states, have only one insurer in the exchanges – up from 7 percent in 2015.
Ohio’s experiences reflect the national trends. Premiums in Ohio have skyrocketed under Obamacare. Since 2013, the average annual premium in Ohio has increased 91 percent, and in the small group market, premiums have increased 94 percent. While premiums increase, competition in Ohio’s healthcare industry is decreasing. Aetna, InHealth Mutual and All Savers/United Healthcare have pulled out of the exchanges. Twenty of Ohio’s 88 counties have only one carrier offering coverage in the exchanges in 2017, and 27 counties have only two carriers.
These are not just numbers to me. Behind every statistic is a person, and I consistently hear from northeast Ohioans on how Obamacare has made health insurance and health care unaffordable for them. Connie G. from Akron contacted me to tell me that although her son and grandson’s policy had a monthly premium of $70, their deductible was over $6,400. When her grandson broke his hand, her son was forced to pay the entire $2,600 medical bill out of pocket.
Debbie L. from Uniontown wrote, “My health care premiums are now at $1,528 for a family of 4 (silver 3000). Last year it was $1,262. We started buying our family insurance in 2012 at $862. So it has doubled!!!...I looked at reducing the plan to a bronze 6000, but it would still be $1,254 a month and you have to pay everything until you hit a $12,000 deductible.”
Put simply, while many northeast Ohioans may have health coverage, they don’t have adequate health care. That is the rescue mission that voters have tasked Congress with undertaking.
To that end, Congress passed a budget resolution to set into motion a process to rescue the American people from this unaffordable care act as soon as possible. This is a first step of the rescue mission.
But Congress must also provide relief. We must employ market-based solutions to provide portable coverage and fair premiums. We have to address the lack of competition in the healthcare sector and permit individuals to purchase coverage across state lines. These are just a few of over 40 different provisions laid out in the House Republican Conference plan to provide an accessible and affordable health care system for all Americans, one of which is maintaining protections for those with pre-existing conditions despite what opponents of our plan would have you believe.
It is my hope that this plan – unlike Obamacare – could be a truly bipartisan plan. Led by President Trump, we must provide rescue and relief from Obamacare’s failures.
As a businessman, I believe President Trump understands the importance of negotiation and consensus-building to creating a successful business. As a business owner myself, I know these are two skills that are crucial to enacting a successful legislative agenda. I am confident that President Trump will use his business skills to the benefit the political process in Washington.
One of the issues being most discussed on Capitol Hill currently is the fate of Obamacare. New polling shows over half of Americans would like to see Obamacare repealed, or at the very least, undergo major changes. Forty-four percent of respondents who support dismantling Obamacare do so because healthcare costs have become too expensive.
The numbers bear this out. On average, premiums have increased 22 percent nationwide this past year alone. One third of counties, including five entire states, have only one insurer in the exchanges – up from 7 percent in 2015.
Ohio’s experiences reflect the national trends. Premiums in Ohio have skyrocketed under Obamacare. Since 2013, the average annual premium in Ohio has increased 91 percent, and in the small group market, premiums have increased 94 percent. While premiums increase, competition in Ohio’s healthcare industry is decreasing. Aetna, InHealth Mutual and All Savers/United Healthcare have pulled out of the exchanges. Twenty of Ohio’s 88 counties have only one carrier offering coverage in the exchanges in 2017, and 27 counties have only two carriers.
These are not just numbers to me. Behind every statistic is a person, and I consistently hear from northeast Ohioans on how Obamacare has made health insurance and health care unaffordable for them. Connie G. from Akron contacted me to tell me that although her son and grandson’s policy had a monthly premium of $70, their deductible was over $6,400. When her grandson broke his hand, her son was forced to pay the entire $2,600 medical bill out of pocket.
Debbie L. from Uniontown wrote, “My health care premiums are now at $1,528 for a family of 4 (silver 3000). Last year it was $1,262. We started buying our family insurance in 2012 at $862. So it has doubled!!!...I looked at reducing the plan to a bronze 6000, but it would still be $1,254 a month and you have to pay everything until you hit a $12,000 deductible.”
Put simply, while many northeast Ohioans may have health coverage, they don’t have adequate health care. That is the rescue mission that voters have tasked Congress with undertaking.
To that end, Congress passed a budget resolution to set into motion a process to rescue the American people from this unaffordable care act as soon as possible. This is a first step of the rescue mission.
But Congress must also provide relief. We must employ market-based solutions to provide portable coverage and fair premiums. We have to address the lack of competition in the healthcare sector and permit individuals to purchase coverage across state lines. These are just a few of over 40 different provisions laid out in the House Republican Conference plan to provide an accessible and affordable health care system for all Americans, one of which is maintaining protections for those with pre-existing conditions despite what opponents of our plan would have you believe.
It is my hope that this plan – unlike Obamacare – could be a truly bipartisan plan. Led by President Trump, we must provide rescue and relief from Obamacare’s failures.