Washington - Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) today made the following statement on the House floor in opposition to H.R. 4015, which would delay the individual mandate for five years:
“House Republicans today are tossing aside common ground for barren ground: another Affordable Care Act repeal vote.
“They are throwing out a historic bipartisan breakthrough to permanently end and replace the broken Medicare physician payment formula to once again turn to partisan politics.
“They are making a statement here today, not law, and we all know it.
“The breakthrough achieved earlier this year by Democrats and Republicans on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance would permanently replace the deeply flawed SGR formula with a system designed to build on delivery system reforms - reforms that move Medicare physician payments toward a more accountable, value-driven system.
“The underlying policy agreement is broadly supported by both the provider community and beneficiaries.
“But today’s exercise is opposed by groups representing seniors, doctors, health plans and others because it guts the Affordable Care Act through a five-year delay to the individual mandate.
“What’s the result?
“According the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Republican bill would:
“Increase the number of uninsured Americans by 13 million, including:
* One million people losing job-based coverage
* Seven million people losing coverage they would have in the individual market
* And five million individuals with the lowest incomes losing Medicaid coverage.
“What’s more, the bill would raise individual market health insurance premiums by 10 to 20 percent for those who remain insured.
“Last week we saw the 50th vote to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act. This week brings the total to 51.
“So much for good faith and goodwill. Instead of working to find common ground to finish the job on a bipartisan solution vital to fixing a key problem in our health care system, House Republicans are taking a cynical step in a familiar direction - one that only points toward the November election. I urge my colleagues to vote no.
