I sent an email to Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown about supporting Obamacare (ACA). This is his reply. Obviously, I will be voting for him. Will I vote for Ohio Senator Rob Portman? Not likely.
Dear Mr. Bruce:
Thank you for reaching out to me and sharing your thoughts about current proposals to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I appreciate your views on this matter.
Opponents have had seven years to create a comprehensive ACA replacement plan, and they have yet to produce anything that would guarantee affordable, quality coverage for millions of Americans the way the ACA has. Like most laws, the ACA is not perfect, but instead of kicking people off their health insurance and forcing premiums to skyrocket for everyone, we should be improving the law and making health care more affordable and more accessible for all Americans. Congress should be working to reduce prescription drug costs, strengthen Medicare, and protect Medicaid. And since coming to Congress, I have supported legislation that would accomplish each of these goals and strengthen our country’s health care system.
One current proposal – the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) – was written by a handful of Senators behind closed doors in consultation with lobbyists from the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, but without any input from Ohioans. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the BCRA would result in at least 22 million Americans losing their health insurance. In addition, the BCRA would cause premiums to spike by an average of twenty percent in 2018, causing costs to go up for millions of Americans, especially older Americans who are not yet eligible for Medicare and for those who have preexisting conditions. The BCRA also includes more than $1 trillion in tax breaks for insurance CEOs and the richest Americans, paid for by cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid – the federal state partnership program that helps provide health insurance to children, the disabled, and the elderly in nursing homes. Another proposal for repealing and replacing the ACA is the House-passed American Health Care Act (AHCA), which would result in 23 million individuals losing their health insurance coverage – even more than the BCRA.
Americans have made it clear that the AHCA is bad for businesses, bad for state budgets, and bad for Ohioans. However, I remain concerned that opponents of the ACA remain dedicated to repealing the law without a meaningful, affordable, and comprehensive replacement. Not only is this a disservice to the millions of Americans – including 900,000 Ohioans – who gained coverage under the ACA, it is reckless to upend the health care industry and implement a policy that will enhance barriers that hinder access to healthcare for children, veterans, disabled individuals, and the elderly.
Everyone in Washington needs to understand the incredible progress we have made when it comes to health care in this country and that Congress cannot gamble with your health insurance. As your Senator, I will keep working to protect the gains we have made in health care coverage under the ACA. Know that I will fight to protect your care, and I will not stop fighting until all Ohioans have access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance.
In the meantime, please contact my office if my staff or I can be of any additional assistance with this or any other issue. We can be reached at 1-888-896-6446. Thank you again for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
United States Senator
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