Alexander Cosponsors Bill to Allow Americans to Keep Their Insurance Plans
Says at least 2 million Americans and many Tennesseans have been dropped from their plans because of Obamacare
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“The least we could do is keep the president’s promise, even if he hasn’t kept it, and let Americans stay on insurance plans they like.” – Lamar Alexander
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 – The senior Republican on the Senate health committee today cosponsored a bill to repeal Obamacare requirements and allow Americans to stay on their insurance plans.
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said: “The president promised Americans that if they liked their insurance, they’d be able to keep it, but at least 2 million Americans and many Tennesseans have already learned it isn’t true. Worse, they may not be able to sign up for a new one in time, because the Obamacare website isn’t working. The least we could do is keep the president’s promise, even if he hasn’t kept it, and let Americans stay on insurance plans they like.”
The “If You Like Your Health Plan, You Can Keep it Act,” introduced by Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), would allow Americans to remain on health care plans that have been in effect through the end of this year.
The Obamacare law required all health care plans to meet certain criteria for coverage, often including provisions that individuals would not need or want, such as maternity care for men. Many Americans with plans that do not meet this level of coverage are losing their policies.
Alexander said: “These are policies in the individual market. There are 19 million Americans in the individual market. The Obama administration knew in 2010 that the rules it wrote for health plans would mean at least 47 to 60 percent of the policies in the individual market would not be legally offered under Obamacare. Yet they still said to people: ‘If you like your insurance, you can keep it.’”
As one Spring Hill, Tenn., constituent told Senator Alexander in a recent letter, “Got a letter today from Blue Cross, seems with the new health care laws going into effect, our current policy will have to be exchanged for one that has more bells and whistles, as required by the government. This means we will paying a large monthly fee. We choose our plan because we could afford it, we have a high deductible because it made our premiums lower. Now, due to Obamacare we will be paying more, contrary to what we were all told by Pres. Obama.”
Earlier this week, Alexander called for Secretary Sebelius to resign, saying, “For the millions being forced into the exchanges and losing their current insurance, there is no relief, just higher prices, a likely lapse in insurance coverage, a broken Web site, and broken promises.”
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