Rep. Kildee voted against the repeal which passed the House by a vote of 244 to 185.

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HEALTH CARE MESS: Kildee Stands Firm, GOP Says Let Market Work

Republicans State Opposition to Plan to Extend Health Coverage to Millions

July 15, 2012       Leave A Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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Calling the vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act "a political stunt, Congressman Dale E. Kildee (D-MI) today explained his vote against the move.

Meanwhile, Republicans say health care should not be a government program and that market-driven forces should rule.

Rep. Kildee voted against the repeal which passed the House by a vote of 244 to 185. The Democratic-controlled Senate is not expected to vote on the House Republican bill.

Rep. Kildee stated: "Less than two weeks ago the Supreme Court ruled that the Affordable Care Act was constitutional, yet the House Republicans refuse to accept the Court's ruling and are determined to try to repeal the Act for the 31st time since it became law.

"This latest attempt is nothing more than a political stunt designed to energize the Republican base."

Confusion reigns: A CNN/ORC International poll conducted June 28-July 1 showed 52 percent of respondents favor all or most provisions of the health care law, while at the same time, 51 percent want Congress to repeal the entire measure.

The Republican candidates' website summarizes the law: "It is the most transformative piece of legislation passed by Congress since the enactment of the Medicare Legislation of 1965.

"It is a federal subsidy program to pay, either in part or full, the health insurance of 34 million uninsured Americans." Prohibition for insurance providers to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions is part of the law, a provision expected to extend coverage to an additional 20 percent to 66 percent of the U.S. adult population, approximately 36 to 122 million Americans. (Source: Government Accountability Office)

The law also provides a range of regulatory changes related to the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), including discounts on physicians reimbursement claims:

Health insurance exchanges

Expanded access to Medicaid

Staggered rollout beginning from June 12, 2010, to 2018

Republicans state: "The federal government's involvement in health care should be similar to every other sector of the economy - minimal."

The GOP further states: "The healthcare industry should be left to its own devices, and allowed to achieve a point of maximum efficiency through a system of trial and error based on our own unique blend of free market economics- the very same organic process that successfully propelled the American economy to become the largest in the world."

Rep. Kildee: "The last thing Congress should be doing is re-fighting old political battles and wiping out the entire healthcare law. Right now, Congress needs to work together to focus on improving the economy and creating jobs. That's what the people in the 5th Congressional District want."

According to the GOP position, "the health care industry must learn to navigate itself through the vicissitudes of the open market, without the comfort of a federal safety net blunting its competitiveness and natural ability to evolve."

Rep. Kildee continued: "This historic law -- now settled by the Supreme Court--expands healthcare coverage to 37 million uninsured Americans and removes the barriers that deny coverage to millions of Americans. The law eliminates caps on coverage, ends discrimination against pre-existing conditions, stops insurance companies from dropping sick people and allows children to stay on their parent's insurance until they are 26 years old. With the repeal of the law, 18 million middle-class people would be denied a tax credit averaging $4,000 each that would make it easier to purchase health insurance starting in 2014.

"Instead of offering an alternative plan or keeping some of the most popular provisions in place, the House Republicans only offered a wholesale repeal of the healthcare law. It isn't any wonder that the American public has such a low opinion of Congress when the Republican majority is more focused on scoring political points than tackling the real problems facing this country."

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(Prior Story) Government Article 007168 (Next Story)

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Dave Rogers
Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read, respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City. (Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com) More from Dave Rogers

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