July 10, 2012

Tomorrow, the House of Representatives will vote.

They will vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Again.

As my representative Ann Marie Buerkle stated so eloquently, “This health care law just flies in the face of what America is supposed to be, and repealing it would revitalize our economy and the values upon which our country was founded. Then we would finally be able to pursue a common-sense, step-by-step approach that protects Americans’ access to the care they need, from the doctor they choose, at a lower cost."

They will vote to repeal full coverage for preventative services for men, women and children, widely believed to be the single most important thing we can do to improve our health and prevent significantly more costly care down the road. 

They will vote to repeal coverage for children with pre-existing conditions. 

They will vote to repeal coverage for adults with pre-existing conditions, offered through high-risk pools created because of the ACA.

They will vote to repeal rules limiting the length of time an adult with a pre-existing condition will have to wait for benefits to begin.

They will vote to repeal coverage of dependent children on their parent's policies until age 26, while at the same time they lament the fact that new college graduates can't afford to pay for health insurance. 

They will vote to repeal annual dollar limits on essential benefits, driving up out of pocket costs for consumers at a time when they can least afford it.

They will vote to repeal tax breaks for small businesses that offer health insurance to their employees, and subsidies to help low income people purchase insurance.  

They will vote to repeal coverage for prescriptions for seniors caught in the 'donut hole' of Medicare-D.

They will vote to repeal rules requiring insurers to spend at least 80% of premiums on benefits or reimburse their subscribers; this year, as much as $1.3 billion will be returned to consumers.

They will vote to repeal rules making it easier for insurance purchasers to understand and compare benefits, to be educated on what they're getting for their health care dollar.

The will vote to repeal added competition in the insurance market, and to repeal health insurance exchanges allowing greater choice for consumers.

And they will vote to repeal the requirement that people get insurance, so that the rest of us can stop paying for those who can, but don't.

They will vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, revitalizing the values upon which our country was founded. 

In their dreams.

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