WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) today responded to the president’s comments on his repeated promise to Americans that if they like their health plan, they will be able to keep it “no matter what." During an interview late Thursday, President Obama was asked about the millions of Americans who are now receiving cancelation notices from their health plans, despite his promise that would not happen. The president commented, “I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation, based on assurances they got from me." He added, “That’s something we’re gonna do everything we can to get fixed… We’re looking at a range of options."
In recent months, as problems with the president’s health care law have grown, the administration has taken a series of unilateral actions such as delaying the employer mandate and deciding not to verify that each applicant for exchange subsidies actually qualified. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has repeatedly offered legislative solutions, including a delay of the individual mandate so that individuals will receive the same treatment being offered to businesses, and legislation to ensure a system is in place to verify subsidy eligibility and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Continuing its efforts, the House of Representatives will consider H.R. 3350, the Keep Your Health Plan Act, next week. The bill responds to widespread insurance cancelations by allowing health plans offered today to continue to be offered next year.
“Actions speak louder than words. If the president is serious about offering relief to Americans whose health plans are being canceled, then he should strongly support the Keep Your Health Plan Act," said Chairman Upton. “This bill is a simple solution that would begin to restore health care peace of mind. Rather than another regulatory patch or holiday weekend blog post the president ought to embrace the bipartisan call for legislative action to allow Americans to keep the health plans they know and like, and can afford.“
NOTE: Background on H.R. 3350, the Keep Your Health Plan Act, can be found online here.
