Nomination of Roy K.J. Williams to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I rise to speak with regard to ObamaCare. The good Senator from Wyoming made compelling points, as did the Senator from Indiana before him.

What I would like to do is to start for a minute by reading from some letters I have received from constituents in my State with regard to ObamaCare or the Affordable Care Act. These are from hard-working people who are trying to figure out what to do about their health insurance with ObamaCare in place. I think really those are the voices that speak louder than any others--the voices of people from across this great country who live in all of our States--and they are writing to Members of this body and say: Hey, here is what I am experiencing. So this is not just coming down and expressing an opinion on the Affordable Care Act. This is what people are saying. This is what they are telling us. I think it is very important we take the time to listen and to understand the very real difficulties they are having with something that is so vitally important to all of us, and that is health insurance.

I would like to start by reading some of these letters. The first one is from somebody who lives in the Fargo area. They start out:

I live in West Fargo and my Employer is based out of South Dakota.

In 2011 I obtained my own Family Health Care Insurance due to a job change and my new employer's Health Care coverage seemed excessive. In doing this I found coverage as follows:

So they signed up for a policy that is an 80/20 copay, with a $1,000 deductible, with a $4,000 out-of-pocket maximum, with monthly premiums of just over $800--$809. That was provided through Blue Cross Blue Shield.

The individual goes on to write:

At the time this was more than $300 less costly than my new employer's monthly premium for similar coverage.

I recently received a notice from [Blue Cross Blue Shield] that my coverage will be discontinued on May 1st, 2014 due to the Affordable Care Act.

So they received a notice that their insurance is being discontinued due to the Affordable Care Act.

Listed below are the options which are most similar to my current coverage:

Now, instead of an 80/20 copay, it is a 70/30 copay, so the copay is higher. There is a $2,000 deductible. So instead of a $1,000 deductible, that doubled. Now it is a $2,000 deductible. There is a $9,000 out-of-pocket maximum, compared to what this individual had before, which was a $4,000 out-of-pocket maximum. So it more than doubled the out-of-pocket maximum. There is a monthly premium of $1,625. That is compared to an $809 premium. So the premium doubled. So for a higher copay, for a higher deductible, for a higher out-of-pocket maximum, they are paying double the premium. If they wanted to go to another policy, it was an even higher deductible.

The individual goes on to say:

We are NOT eligible for Tax Credits because my employer offers affordable health coverage.

So because the employer offers a policy, this individual is not eligible for any tax credits.

At this point my best option is to obtain my employer's health coverage. However Open enrollment is not until August 2014.

So the individual has to wait until August.

My HR department along with my current Insurance Specialist has contacted [Blue Cross Blue Shield] and asked that this be considered a ``Life Changing Event'' so I can join the employer plan by the May 1st deadline. They will not classify it as such. I asked if I could pay some type of early sign on fee. They indicated that is not an option.

So if I cannot join my employer's plan, my BEST options for coverage are those options listed above--

The ones I just read--

which are at best a 37% increase--

``[A]t best a 37% increase''--

in monthly premium with a 110% or more increase in deductible and out of pocket max.

So let me say that one more time. This individual's best options now with the Affordable Care Act are a 37-percent increase in the monthly premium, with a 110-percent or more increase in the deductible and the out-of-pocket maximum.

Then the individual finishes:

Do you see my frustration?

This is just one of the letters we have received, but it is representative of so many others.

How can that be an affordable care act? How is that affordable care?

Here is another one.

My insurance premium tripled for less coverage. I thought our insurance was supposed to stay the same if we had it. ..... Please put a stop to it! It isn't right to make people pay for something they may not be able to afford. I already had health insurance! I also send money to my sister to help with her baby. Now I won't be able to do that.

That is another letter--a real person, a real situation.

Here is one:

To Our Elected Representatives; We petition you not as Democrats, Republicans, Independents or members of any special interest group, but as concerned taxpayers. We urge of all of our elected representatives to vote against this administration's health care plan. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the cost will be more than $1 trillion over 10 years and we know from experience that it will cost far more than any government estimate.

Well, these stories go on, and I know I have colleagues who are waiting to speak, as well, during this time slot. So rather than continue to go through these letters--and I have many more; I brought more than I anticipated reading today--I will come back again and read some more of these.

But I want to conclude with what I believe is the right approach, and I think it is something Republicans are talking about and have been talking about and will continue to talk about. So when we come down and say the Affordable Care Act is not working, do not just take our word for it. Listen to the people from across this country who are writing to us and telling us their very real stories. Sometimes you hear: Well, but you don't have a solution. That is wrong. We do. We absolutely have a solution, and we have talked about it over and over on this floor and in every other venue where someone is willing to listen.

We need to implement a comprehensive approach, and we need to do it on a step-by-step basis so people understand it and know exactly what we are putting in place. It needs to be an approach that empowers people to make their own choices--their own choices--about their health care insurance and their health care providers. Again, I want to repeat that: They choose their own policy and their health care providers.

It includes market-based reforms that promote competition, that will help increase choice, not reduce choice, and competition that will help bring prices down, not see them continue to spike higher. It includes aspects such as tort reform, to reduce the cost of health care. It includes allowing insurance companies to sell policies across State lines. It includes expanding health savings accounts, so individuals can combine high-deductible health care policies with a tax-deductible savings account. It includes reform of Medicare and Medicaid, to give States more control and to encourage the kind of reforms that will improve service, improve outcomes, and reduce costs.

That is the kind of approach that truly serves the American public. That is the kind of approach we will continue to work, on behalf of the citizens of our respective States in this great Nation, to put in place.

With that, I see my esteemed colleague from the great State of Mississippi is in the Chamber. I yield for the good Senator.

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