Hultgren Asks & Gets Advice on Obamacare

A communication from Congressman Randy Hultgren:

First step toward health reform

This week, I supported House passage of a budget tool to begin the process of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, with more affordable and accessible health coverage for Americans.

Randy Hultgren

The budget measure, called reconciliation, does not immediately repeal the ACA but directs the four health care committees to find more affordable and accessible health care solutions for Americans and save billions in taxpayer dollars.

I do not believe in simply repealing the ACA and walking away. If repeal is to happen, I will work with my colleagues to replace the law gradually over time with a system that offers Americans more and better choices for health insurance.

Any replacement of the law must improve affordability, plan choice and doctor and hospital choice for people in the 14th District, or I won’t support it.

Health insurance coverage should be accessible and affordable for all Americans, but Obamacare has delivered on none of these promises.

The ACA has created a marketplace with more expensive and fewer insurance options, and fewer doctor and hospital networks for everyone.

Illinois residents have had to pay some of the highest premium increases and have faced some of the fewest plan, doctor and hospital options in the country.

I have heard countless stories from my constituents who have lost insurance plans, been shut out of doctor networks they rely on for care and faced an effective pay cut with new high-deductible plans.

Many in Illinois cannot go to their nearest hospital for care.

I supported this measure because I believe we need to do better by people in Illinois and the 14th District.

Below my signature is additional information on how the ACA has affected Illinois residents, as well as the principles I want to see directing health reform efforts.

Since I entered Congress I have heard from individuals and families around the 14th District about the ACA. As always, I still want to know your thoughts as I represent you in Congress. Please click the Contact link above to let me know your views.

= = = = =

Background on Illinois’ ACA Health Exchange

This year, three of the seven counties in the 14th Congressional District are left with one insurance issuer, leaving residents of McHenry, Lake and Kendall Counties with a true insurance monopoly. Kane, Will and DeKalb Counties will be left with only two insurance issuers. Individuals with these exchange plans could face proposed rate increases for 2017 of up to 77.3 percent.

In addition, Illinois exchange plans have removed some of the best hospitals and doctors in the state from both their HMO and PPO provider networks, such as Northwestern Medicine and Lurie Children’s Hospital, leaving the most vulnerable people with the most significant medical needs without the options or the care they need.

My Principles for Health Reform

I believe the answer to shrinking health insurance markets and increasing out-of-pocket costs lies in state innovation, which is why I introduced my own plan last Congress, the State Health Care Options Act, to free states to develop solutions tailored to their residents. I believe a comprehensive ACA replacement should:

  • Allow states to develop and implement their own free market solutions to insurance monopolization.
  • Offer portable tax credits or subsidies that don’t restrict choice.
  • Stop locking individuals out of plan changes by making enrollment more flexible.
  • Allow individuals and employers to work together to negotiate lower plan prices.
  • Use technology like private insurance exchanges to make enrolling in and changing coverage quick and easy.

In addition, House Republicans have presented a plan for replacement at better.gop.


Comments

Hultgren Asks & Gets Advice on Obamacare — 33 Comments

  1. Susan, that Singaporean model just can’t work in the Disintegrating States of America …… reason: Obvious Demographics

    ……relatively homogenous Singaporeans share societal values.

    The American Welfare and Entitlement Regime collapses when the producers and productive members of society are far outnumbered by the unproductive freeloaders.

    We actually pay the freeloaders to have more and more kids AT OUR EXPENSE.

    Nice try.

  2. Just checked my copy of the Constitution; still can’t find health care mentioned.

    Found a lot of stuff, but no health care.

    Health care is not a right it’s a good (like a car or a television).

    Anybody who wants to take money from me at the point of a gun (try not paying your taxes and see what ultimately happens) to pay for goods for someone else is a communist, a tyrant or worse.

    Not PC I know

  3. The U.S. has at least four differing and competing health care models. None of them work well here.

    Given the truth of our non homogeny of citizenry or values a single choice solution cannot work.

    This is not a guess.

    It is the truth.

    The only control which works is the people themselves.

    Liberals hate the individual and believe each person is unimportant and incapable of directing their own lives.

    Their lies are manifest in the failure of Obamacare.

    The individual is the ONLY person capable of directing their own health needs.

    Each life is worthy of the best care they may obtain for themselves.

    Government has favored monopolies and central control in too many industries.

    The job of a government in a free market is to be the counterweight to these things not the promoter. \

    The American government since Carter has been an utter melt down failure as a protector of Liberty and the Citizen.

    It is time the interests of the individual rather than monied special interests take precedence once again.

    Break up the insurance companies.

    Break up the hospital cartels.

    Break up governments who protect these anti Citizen interests.

    Then let The People use their God given ingenuity to reshape health care into what it once was and can be again…

    A good person with their trusted doctor making the health decisions right for each person without government or any other outside interest interfering or obstructing.

  4. Repeal, Randy.

    Government has no business having any say about this subject.

    Just chitcan the whole mess.

  5. Eat sh…t Randy.

    You get in the mix with the rest of us, before you start speaking on my families heath.

    I know three teenagers who have fought three different types of cancer, and these elites who have their own insurance free of charge throwing around “high-risk pools” and life-time caps. F them.

    Cindy please don’t ever pretend you are a christian, you idiot.

  6. You kiss your Mother with that filthy mouth,

    Signs?

    Plus, the fact that you just showed yourself to be a complete MORON!

    Cancer is cureable if you DON’T go through the chemo lyin’ doctors that will KILL you!

    (BTW I never claimed to be a Christian. I think people that say that are ALL HYPOCRITES!)

    You are a disgusting piece of filth from all your other posts, so I wouldn’t put any stock in anything you have to say.

    AND I certainly don’t want you running my life you nanny state filth!

  7. formula:

    1. issue each citizen $3000 annual into a medical savings account, which is not personally accessible by citizens other than to remit payment to licensed health care providers.

    2.Every citizen now shops for, and pays cash, for all healthcare purchases, and uses own funds to pay. the funds in medical savings account may be used for medical purchases.

    3. remove anti-competitive restrictions on urgent care facilities and stand alone imaging /serum testing facilities.

    4. Create catastrophic insurance plan a la Medicare, with published reimbursement rates, with a very high deductible tied the actuarial risk of the age/sex of patient.
    Premiums could be paid out of medical savings account.

    5. The government will become ultimate guarantor at the extreme high end, of every citizen who seeks medical treatment. However, government funds will be ‘loaned’ to citizen to pay medical expenses, and debt cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. So, people might be careful about what they buy and the prices they pay.

    REcap:

    Every citizen must shop for medical care, pay for it with personal (and MSA) funds.

    Every citizen is given MSA funding to do so.

    High deductible catastrophic care polices MAY be purchased at citizens’ discretion.

    Citizens may incur medical debt, guaranteed by government(which remits payments to providers), but citizens remain responsible for all such personal debt, which is then only discharged by death.

  8. (forgot)

    Open the borders on pharmaceuticals purchase: allow citizens to buy prescription meds from any Country.

    (currently citizens customarily are ‘allowed’ to buy a 59 day supply for personal use without prosecution).

  9. Signs, so the whole country should go to Hell because kids get cancer?

    There’s absolutely no logic there!

  10. sweded,

    I am just providing a personal situation.

    There is clearly a difference in my form of logic and yours.

    Glad I am me. 🙂

  11. addendum:

    6. pharma may be bought and imported from any country

    7. private insurance is optional, and if citizens chooses private insurance no annual payments will be made during the insured period.

  12. I think the funniest thing about this thread is that almost every commenter is a union or public agency parasite.

    $3,000/year wouldn’t pay for your opioid addictions; do you think the price of oxycodone, or the heroin that you buy on the West Side when you run out, is going to drop in price?

    You did notice Congress has no interest in allowing people to buy cheaper drugs outside the US, didn’t you?

    No, you were all too stoned to notice.

    This thread is a delight.

    A bunch of morbidly obese opioid addicts, sucking union and public agency cock for your benefits.

    Here’s hoping for a quick and painless death for all of you.

    Why isn’t America great?

    Look in the mirror.

    By the way, anonymous cowards- I’m the John Lovaas who lives in Woodstock; Kimball Ave.

    If you’d like to murder me, stop on by.

    I go to the range once a month because of you.

    Not ISIL.

    Not young black men.

    You.

  13. Susan.

    Brilliant start to a conversation of how to marry private accountability with a public safety net.

    You apparently need 2600 pages more full of pork and payoffs to satisfy some but you’ve cut the Gordian knot well.

    Hopefully Congress will keep this simple as well.

    The models you’ve, no doubt, read about all have merit.

    The French model with a credit card with a microchip with all your health info on it seems smart.

    Consistent national pricing so costs are known rather than subjective seems smart too.

    Hard to work through all the best practices in a blog comment section but thank you for an incredibly smart start.

  14. Our prices for medicine is way too expensive.

    You can go to Mexico and get the same medicines right over the counter.

    They sell medicine because the people can’t afford high prices.

    I don’t mean the alley pharmacy.

    You go to your doctor or hospital and they tell you what to take and then you go to the drug store.

  15. Thanks priest calling health care problem Gordian knot is an insult to real knots.

    Answer so simple: remove third party payer as barrier to good service, fair pricing, and service-seller independence from indentured servitude.

  16. Doctors hate Obamacare.

    There are a lot less gifted people going into medicine because of this monstrosity of a Bill.

    No one can afford their deductibles!

    Older people get turned away because they don’t cover certain procedures after a certain age.

    NICE WAY TO TREAT YOUR ELDERS, but lovers and leaches of Obamacare don’t give a rip!

    REPEAL IT!

    We’d be better off if we went back to healthcare before this was shoved down our throats, but I know Trump will have a replacement.

    No telling what that is going to be.

    Obamacare has rather quickly ruined healthcare, employment and people’s lives, doctors’ lives, and more.

  17. First, EVERY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE has to be on whatever public plan they come up with.

    END OF STORY.

    I believe the government has no place in healthcare, refer the constitution, still can’t find it.

    However, if they do employ anything, it should be plain and simple to understand.

    Allow insurance across state lines, put tarp reform in place.

    Medical personnel are human as well, as hard as that is to grasp sometimes, the last thing they want is to lose a loved one.

    People with preexisting conditions, the last thing I want is for you to be left out in the cold.

    We had Medicare and Medicaid, unfortunately they were mishandled.

    Rest assured we will reimpliment Healthcare for those truly in need, or on their own through a government pool.

    The states devise their own government pools and act as an employer for those in need. No government mandate, it drives up the cost as they know you have to buy.

    If not insured, it’s time to be adults and face the consequences.

  18. **In addition, House Republicans have presented a plan for replacement at better.gop.**

    LOL – Hultgren calls that a plan?

    Its no more than a few talking points.

  19. The Better.GOP website has 6 sections.

    – Poverty

    – National Security

    – Economy

    – Constitution

    – Health Care

    – Tax Reform

    +++++++++++++++++

    Under the Health Care Section is 6 documents and 1 YouTube Video:

    – By the Numbers, 1 page

    – Fact Sheet, 1 page

    – FAQ, 2 pages

    – Policy Paper, 37 pages

    – Snapshot, 3 pages

    – YouTube video, 48 seconds

    That is obviously not the entire plan, but a way for the masses to obtain an overview of the plan.

    +++++++

    That is more than the Cut 10 plan Jack Franks has failed to deliver to this date.

    During the campaign for County Board Chair in 2016 and on his Cut 10 campaign website, Jack Franks said he would deliver the Cut 10 plan on his first day in office.

    Jack Franks’ first day in office was December 5, 2016.

    No word from Jack Franks about when we will see the plan.

    Jack Franks said Cut 10 is a plan to cut property taxes by 10% in every property taxing district in McHenry County.

  20. Re: Mr. Lovaas rant “You did notice Congress has no interest in allowing people to buy cheaper drugs outside the US, didn’t you? ”

    Just where is it written that one cannot buy prescription drugs sourced from a foreign country?

    While it is true that you, as a person, are not allowed to leave the country and bring back prescription drugs (even if they were originally manufactured in the U.S.), there is nothing stopping one from having prescriptions filled with proudct manufactured outside the U.S.

    Here is one of the so-called protections given to you by the FDA for its strict control on individuals bringing in their own pharmaceuticals:

    “In the United States, “Flomax,” prescribed for an enlarged prostate, is a brand name for tamsulosin. In Italy, the active ingredient in the product called “Flomax” is morniflumate, an anti-inflammatory drug.”

    You and Susan may want to visit this site: https://www.verywell.com/how-to-buy-drugs-from-foreign-pharmacies-2614905

    Only one reason for “Universal healthcare”:

    CONTROL

  21. I have been writing about purchasing pharmacy meds outside US for years.

    Illinois is one of many states with a waiver to do so for Medicaid drug purchases

  22. Recap free market health care plan:

    1. issue each citizen $3000 annual into a medical savings account, which is not personally accessible by citizens other than to remit payment to licensed health care providers.

    2.Every citizen now shops for, and pays cash, for all healthcare purchases, and uses own funds to pay. the funds in medical savings account may be used for medical purchases.

    3. remove anti-competitive restrictions on urgent care facilities and stand alone imaging /serum testing facilities.

    4. Allow catastrophic insurance plans a la Medicare, with published reimbursement rates, with a very high deductible tied the actuarial risk of the age/sex of patient.
    Premiums could be paid out of medical savings account.

    5. The government will become ultimate guarantor at the extreme high spending end, of every citizen who seeks medical treatment. However, government funds will be ‘loaned’ to citizen to pay medical expenses, and debt cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. So, people might be careful about what they buy and the prices they pay.
    REcap:

    Every citizen must shop for medical care, pay for it with personal (and MSA) funds.

    Every citizen is given MSA funding to do so.

    High deductible catastrophic care polices MAY be purchased at citizens’ discretion.

    Citizens may incur medical debt, guaranteed by government(which remits payments to providers), but citizens remain responsible for all such personal debt, which is then only discharged by death.

    6.pharma may be bought and imported from any country

    7. private insurance is optional, and if citizens chooses private insurance no annual $3000 MSA payments will be made during the insured period.

  23. **That is more than the Cut 10 plan Jack Franks has failed to deliver to this date.**

    Mark, you’re obsessed.

    This thread isn’t about Jack Franks, at all.

    I don’t care about his silly Cut 10 plan.

    I was opposed to it a few months ago, I’m opposed to it now.

    But now, the House Republican “plan” is not a plan.

    At all.

    There is no substance there, and there is little/no “plan” on how they want to accomplish their goals.

    There is a reason why the Congressional Republicans are not replacing at the same time as repeal.

    It is because they have no plan.

  24. My simple answer is no.

    No, it should not be repealed.

    Should it be improved?

    YES.

    Now that I have voiced my opinion here I have a question for Congressman Hultgren.

    Why are you inquiring here on this blog?

    While I’m sure it has many readers this topic is far too important to be limited to this particular venue.

    This legislation is life changing and it impacts ALL of us.

    As a constituent I would love to meet with you and all of my neighbors to share my concerns and thoughts about it.

    I invite you to hold a town hall meeting where you will be able to talk to us face-to-face, shake our hands, and truly find out what it is we are thinking, wanting, and needing. Will you meet with us?

  25. I would suggest sending the Congressman a letter with your thoughts, request.

  26. Doesn’t impact me.

    I could care less what stupid laws they put together to spy on you.

    I’m tagged out.

    Why do you want to promote something that is NOT about anyone’s health?

    Why do you insist you want to be controlled and tracked?

    Why are people so ignorant of their indoctrination?

  27. If this is the comment you are writing about, it is up.

    New folks need to know that the first time one posts, the program I use requires my approval. After that comments go up automatically, unless there are links within it.

    “My simple answer is no.

    “No, it should not be repealed.

    “Should it be improved?

    “YES.

    “Now that I have voiced my opinion here I have a question for Congressman Hultgren.

    “Why are you inquiring here on this blog?

    “While I’m sure it has many readers this topic is far too important to be limited to this particular venue.

    “This legislation is life changing and it impacts ALL of us.

    “As a constituent I would love to meet with you and all of my neighbors to share my concerns and thoughts about it.

    “I invite you to hold a town hall meeting where you will be able to talk to us face-to-face, shake our hands, and truly find out what it is we are thinking, wanting, and needing.

    “Will you meet with us?”

  28. The declaration of Independence calls “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” the 3 “inalienable rights” and the Constitution in the Preamble calls to “promote the general welfare” of “We the People”.

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