Congressman Mike Rogers announced his support today for H.R. 3350, the Keep your Health Plan Act of 2013, a bill that would allow health care plans on the individual market to remain available so people across East Alabama could have the option to keep their current health care plans.
Under the Affordable Care Act, many insurance providers are offering different plans to comply with the new guidelines and cancelling current plans consumers are currently enrolled in.
“Time and time again, President Obama promised folks across the country they could keep their health care plans under the Affordable Care Act. However, I have heard from numerous folks in East Alabama who are being forced into new plans with higher premiums after being told their old plans don’t meet the new requirements of the law.
“The Keep Your Health Plan Act, if passed, could help remedy this problem, and I hope the House will debate it quickly,” Rogers said.
In his bi-weekly op-ed this week, Rogers noted responses he received from many constituents about their rising health care premiums under Obamacare.
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“The deeply flawed launch of Obamacare’s online enrollment is now all over the news after taking a back seat to coverage of the government shutdown.
A month into the rollout, the evidence is starting to pile up – Obamacare is a disaster. Folks are still unable to get logged in to the site online, which under the law, was supposed to be a key feature of expanding insurance coverage. Also, according to a Health and Human Services report last month, Alabama has very few insurance plan choices, which also shows the law’s shortcomings.
I have voted more times than I can count to get rid of Obamacare because I think the law is unworkable, will damage the economy and end up hurting working folks. I will continue to fight against Obamacare.
Anxiety is rising over looming deadlines. For example, to have coverage starting January 1, everyone must sign up online by December 15. The law’s supporters, including the president, have not agreed to even a year delay in the individual mandate to purchase health insurance, despite all the uncertainties and concerns.
Open season for enrollment lasts until March 31. At first, if you hadn’t signed up by February 15, you would face a penalty, but the White House has delayed that deadline to March 31. How is any of this fair?
And if trying to navigate this terribly complex law isn’t nightmare enough, the premiums because of the Affordable Care Act have risen across East Alabama significantly.
Recently on my Facebook page, I asked folks to let me know if their premiums were affected. One person’s premiums will go up $200 monthly and they’ve decided to go without health insurance when Januaryarrives.
Another person’s premiums will rise $300 per month. For another individual, their premiums will go up $130 a month and they said they just cannot afford the coverage with the higher price. Another family was told their policy doesn’t meet the requirements of the new law, but they will be switched to a new policy at an increase of $740 a month.
The law hurts folks across East Alabama because it is not affordable or fair. Insured people are willing to become uninsured and pay the fine because they cannot afford the escalated prices of their new premiums under Obamacare.
This new law, along with its website, has proved once again to be a ‘train wreck.’
President Obama has already delayed portions of the law, and Republicans are beginning investigations into its many shortcomings. I fully expect those hearings to reveal yet more problems.
As always, please feel free to contact me at mike-rogers.house.gov, like me on Facebook at Congressman Mike D. Rogers, follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram at RepMikeRogersAL and subscribe to my YouTube page at MikeRogersAL03.”
Congressman Mike Rogers serves as the Chairman of the Strategic Forces subcommittee on the Armed Services Committee and is a senior member of the Homeland Security and Agriculture committees.
CLICK BELOW to hear Congressman Mike Rogers’ remarks
