Rep. Fitzgerald Votes Against Obamacare Bailout
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after voting against H.R. 1834, which would extend temporary COVID-era Obamacare subsidies for three years. This legislation does not include safeguards to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in Obamacare marketplaces.
“The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act codifies the Trump Administration’s 2019 Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) rule. HRAs are a proven solution to the problems caused by Obamacare. They allow employers to set aside tax-free dollars for employees to use on medical expenses for themselves and their families. HRAs give employees the ability to select the health plan that works best for them instead of being forced to a single, employer-sponsored option.
“I also voted in favor of the Working Families Tax Cuts bill that was signed into law by President Trump. This legislation provided a historic $50 billion investment in rural healthcare. Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that Wisconsin received a $203 million award under the Rural Health Transformation Program. This legislation also expanded eligibility to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) by reclassifying Bronze and Catastrophic Marketplace plans as qualifying High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs). These changes will provide over 157,000 Wisconsinites with the new opportunity to use HSAs for their medical expenses.
“According to the Congressional Budget Office, this three-year Obamacare subsidy extension adds over $80 billion to the deficit. Where does this money go? To insurance companies. A recent Government Accountability Office report also found widespread improper payments and weak verification, exposing fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
“Bottom line: Democrats literally created this healthcare problem, and Republicans are focused on delivering solutions to Obamacare.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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