REP. MIKE THOMPSON VOTES AGAINST HOUSE GOP HEALTH CARE REPEAL EFFORTS
July 11, 2012
Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) today voted against H.R. 6079, the Patients' Rights Repeal Act. This legislation was the House Majority's 31st bill in the last 18 months to repeal all or parts of the Affordable Care Act. The repeal of health care reform would end patient protections and raise health care costs for millions of Americans. The bill passed the House by a vote of 244-185. It will now go to the Senate. The Senate is not expected to pass the bill and the President has said he would veto the legislation if it reached his desk.
“Today the House took its 31st vote to repeal all or part of health care reform,” said Thompson. “Health care reform was in response to a national crisis. Businesses and individuals couldn't afford health care. Hospitals, doctors, and clinics provided billions in uncompensated care and those costs were then passed on to consumers. So, we passed legislation that saves money, saves lives and provides access to quality, affordable health care. Instead of staging these political games and voting to return to this national crisis, we should be strengthening the reforms made to our health care system and focusing on getting people back to work.”
In California's 1st Congressional District:
- More than 6,000 seniors in the “donut hole” have received prescription drug discounts worth more than $3 million dollars. That is an average of more than $500 per senior. Also, under Medicare, seniors now receive a free annual wellness visit and important preventive services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies. Nationally, more than 16 million have taken advantage of this provision in the first six months of 2012.
- Women can no longer be dropped by their insurance company if they become pregnant.
- Young adults can now join or stay on their parents' health plan until their 26th birthday, if they do not have coverage of their own. 7,600 young adults in the First District now have health insurance because of this change.
- Children younger than age 19 can no longer be denied coverage by an insurance company for having a pre-existing condition. In the First district, 37,000 children with pre-existing conditions are now protected from discrimination.
- Small business owners can receive tax credits if they choose to offer coverage to their employees.
- Privately-insured Americans can no longer be dropped from coverage by insurance companies because they get sick, and insurance companies can no longer place a lifetime limit on their coverage. In the First District, 460,000 residents are no longer at risk of their insurers dropping their coverage when they get sick.
By 2014, virtually all of the law will go into effect. This will result in more than 32 million uninsured Americans gaining access to affordable coverage. The law will also end the hidden taxes that all insured individuals currently pay for emergency room visits by people without insurance. Women will no longer be charged substantially higher premiums than men for the same coverage, and being a woman can no longer be treated as a ‘pre-existing condition' by insurance companies.
Yesterday, Thompson spoke in the House Floor in opposition to the House Majority's repeal legislation. His remarks can be viewed by clicking here.
The full text of his statement is below.
“I rise in opposition to this legislation that represents the 31st time that we have voted, or will vote, to repeal parts, or all, of the Affordable Care Act.
“Instead of staging these political games, we should be spending our time strengthening the reforms that were made in the Affordable Care Act, and working together to put people back to work.
“The Affordable Care Act was passed in response to a national crisis.
Businesses and individuals could not afford to buy health insurance.
“Hospitals, doctors, and clinics provided more than $100 billion a year in uncompensated care -- $50 million in my district alone. Now the good fairy doesn't come and reimburse them for their care. These costs are passed on to all of us who have health insurance in higher taxes and higher premiums, to the tune of $1,000 a year in higher health insurance premiums.
“People with preexisting conditions could not get coverage.
“People in my district were hitting their lifetime caps, or even annual caps, and being dropped by their insurance company.
“Others were self-employed and simply couldn't afford to buy private insurance on the open market.
“This was a national crisis that we worked to try and fix, and this is the national crisis that the majority party would like to go back to.
“It's not right, it's not good for America, and it's not good for Americans.
“So, on behalf of the millions of Americans who are already benefitting from the Affordable Care Act, I urge a “no” vote on this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
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“Today the House took its 31st vote to repeal all or part of health care reform,” said Thompson. “Health care reform was in response to a national crisis. Businesses and individuals couldn't afford health care. Hospitals, doctors, and clinics provided billions in uncompensated care and those costs were then passed on to consumers. So, we passed legislation that saves money, saves lives and provides access to quality, affordable health care. Instead of staging these political games and voting to return to this national crisis, we should be strengthening the reforms made to our health care system and focusing on getting people back to work.”
In California's 1st Congressional District:
- More than 6,000 seniors in the “donut hole” have received prescription drug discounts worth more than $3 million dollars. That is an average of more than $500 per senior. Also, under Medicare, seniors now receive a free annual wellness visit and important preventive services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies. Nationally, more than 16 million have taken advantage of this provision in the first six months of 2012.
- Women can no longer be dropped by their insurance company if they become pregnant.
- Young adults can now join or stay on their parents' health plan until their 26th birthday, if they do not have coverage of their own. 7,600 young adults in the First District now have health insurance because of this change.
- Children younger than age 19 can no longer be denied coverage by an insurance company for having a pre-existing condition. In the First district, 37,000 children with pre-existing conditions are now protected from discrimination.
- Small business owners can receive tax credits if they choose to offer coverage to their employees.
- Privately-insured Americans can no longer be dropped from coverage by insurance companies because they get sick, and insurance companies can no longer place a lifetime limit on their coverage. In the First District, 460,000 residents are no longer at risk of their insurers dropping their coverage when they get sick.
By 2014, virtually all of the law will go into effect. This will result in more than 32 million uninsured Americans gaining access to affordable coverage. The law will also end the hidden taxes that all insured individuals currently pay for emergency room visits by people without insurance. Women will no longer be charged substantially higher premiums than men for the same coverage, and being a woman can no longer be treated as a ‘pre-existing condition' by insurance companies.
Yesterday, Thompson spoke in the House Floor in opposition to the House Majority's repeal legislation. His remarks can be viewed by clicking here.
The full text of his statement is below.
“I rise in opposition to this legislation that represents the 31st time that we have voted, or will vote, to repeal parts, or all, of the Affordable Care Act.
“Instead of staging these political games, we should be spending our time strengthening the reforms that were made in the Affordable Care Act, and working together to put people back to work.
“The Affordable Care Act was passed in response to a national crisis.
Businesses and individuals could not afford to buy health insurance.
“Hospitals, doctors, and clinics provided more than $100 billion a year in uncompensated care -- $50 million in my district alone. Now the good fairy doesn't come and reimburse them for their care. These costs are passed on to all of us who have health insurance in higher taxes and higher premiums, to the tune of $1,000 a year in higher health insurance premiums.
“People with preexisting conditions could not get coverage.
“People in my district were hitting their lifetime caps, or even annual caps, and being dropped by their insurance company.
“Others were self-employed and simply couldn't afford to buy private insurance on the open market.
“This was a national crisis that we worked to try and fix, and this is the national crisis that the majority party would like to go back to.
“It's not right, it's not good for America, and it's not good for Americans.
“So, on behalf of the millions of Americans who are already benefitting from the Affordable Care Act, I urge a “no” vote on this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
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Issues:Health Care