Better Care: ‘Moves Us In Such A Better Direction’

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “I am very supportive of the Senate #HealthcareBill.” (@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 6/22/2017)

SEC. TOM PRICE: “What it [the Senate discussion draft] does is, it moves us in such a better direction than where we are right now.” (Fox News’s “Hannity,” 6/22/2017)

• SEC. PRICE: “What you are seeing is a movement now toward a system that will allow patients and families and doctors to make decisions; that will allow states the kind of flexibility to set up the Medicaid program as they deem to be most appropriate which is much more responsive to those folks in their states; give greater choices to patients, what kind of coverage do they want for themselves; will make certain that every single American has the opportunity to purchase the kind of coverage they want and will provide a transition to this system that the president is absolutely adamant makes it so that individuals are able to prepare for whatever the new plan is and whatever the more responsive plan is.” (Fox News’s “Hannity,” 6/22/2017)

EXPERTS: ‘Senate Republican Bill Will Transform American Health Care’ ‘For The Better’

AVIK ROY: “Finished reading the Senate HC bill. Put simply: If it passes, it’ll be the greatest policy achievement by a GOP Congress in my lifetime.” (Avik Roy, @Avik, Twitter, 6/22/2017)

AVIK ROY: “The hotly-anticipated Senate Republican health care bill came out on Thursday morning. …once the dust settles, it will emerge that the Senate bill will have far-reaching effects on American health care: for the better.” (Avik Roy, Op-Ed, “The New Senate Republican Bill Will Transform American Health Care,” Forbes, 6/23/2017)

• “Real Medicaid reforms: The Senate bill includes and refines the best part of the House bill: its reforms of Medicaid, the dysfunctional government-run health care program for the poor that whose enrollees have no better health outcomes than the uninsured. Because the Senate bill’s tax credits are robustly means-tested and available to those below the poverty line, the bill is able to repeal Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion while offering higher-quality coverage to individuals who signed up for Medicaid under the expansion. The reason that Medicaid’s health outcomes are so poor is because the outdated 1965 Medicaid law places a laundry list of constraints on states’ ability to manage their Medicaid programs. As a result, the main tool states have to keep Medicaid costs under control is to pay doctors and hospitals less and less each year for the same care. Hence, many doctors don’t take Medicaid, and Medicaid enrollees struggle to gain access to care.” (Avik Roy, Op-Ed, “The New Senate Republican Bill Will Transform American Health Care,” Forbes, 6/23/2017)

GRACE-MARIE TURNER, Galen Institute: “Senate Health Bill Provides A Safety Net And Needed Reforms… The Senate bill is only 142 pages of legislative text, versus well over 2,000 pages in ObamaCare.  This is a more modest and restrained bill, but it does what it needs to do to create a new platform for coverage and important new flexibility for the states.” (Grace-Marie Turner, Op-Ed, “Senate Bill Provides A Safety Net And Needed Reforms,” Forbes, 6/22/2017)

OPINION LEADERS: ‘Could Become The Most Consequential Social Reform Since The Welfare Reconstruction Of 1996’

WALL STREET JOURNAL: “The binary choice now is between pushing past the media and Democratic flak to pass a historic achievement, or wilting under the pressure and ratifying the ObamaCare status quo. …the reform is a major improvement over the U.S. health-care status quo that will worsen if the bill fails.” (“The Senate’s Health-Care Advance,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/23/2017)

• WSJ: “Medicaid was most divisive for Republicans in their months-long internal debate, so the pleasant surprise is that the Senate’s entitlement overhaul is somewhat stronger than the House’s. The program originally meant for poor women, children and the disabled—which ObamaCare opened to able-bodied, working-age adults above the poverty level—would be modernized for the first time. This could become the most consequential social reform since the welfare reconstruction of 1996. … It’s not too much to say this is a defining moment for whether the GOP can ever reform runaway entitlements.” (“The Senate’s Health-Care Advance,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/23/2017)

SEAN HANNITY, Fox News: “It repeals Obamacare taxes, ends funding for abortion, repeals the mandate – individual and employer mandates – so those are all good things in my opinion.” (Fox News’s “Hannity,” 6/22/2017)

FOUNDATION FOR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY: “The Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 is an important step forward in fixing the health insurance market damaged by ObamaCare and refocusing the Medicaid program on the truly needy. … ‘The Senate’s discussion draft is a vital next step to protect patients, reduce health insurance costs, provide historic Medicaid reform, and cut taxes and spending.’ …stated Tarren Bragdon, CEO of FGA.” (“FGA Responds To The Better Care Reconciliation Act Of 2017,” FGA, 6/22/2017)

ELIZABETH McKEE, Americans For Tax Reform: “The Senate healthcare bill cuts taxes for millions of middle-income families … Obamacare's taxes deprive working families and businesses of their hard-earned income. The Senate's Obamacare repeal bill abolishes these taxes and returns much-needed purchasing power to taxpayers.” (Elizabeth McKee, Op-Ed, “The Senate Healthcare Bill Cuts Taxes For Millions Of Middle-Income Families,” Washington Examiner, 6/22//2017)

AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM: “The Senate’s Obamacare repeal bill abolishes the many middle class taxes that were imposed by President Obama and the Democrat party in 2010. Obama promised repeatedly that he would never raise any form of tax on any household making less than $250,000 per year. He lied. Although you’ll never hear it from the establishment media, the Senate’s Obamacare repeal bill:

-Abolishes the Obamacare Individual Mandate Tax which hits 8 million Americans each year.

-Abolishes the Obamacare Employer Mandate Tax.

-Abolishes Obamacare’s Medicine Cabinet Tax which hits the 20 million Americans with Health Savings Accounts and the 30 million Americans with Flexible Spending Accounts.

-Abolishes Obamacare’s Flexible Spending Account tax on 30 million Americans.

-Abolishes Obamacare’s Chronic Care Tax on 10 million Americans with high out of pocket medical expenses. This Obamacare tax imposed higher income taxes on households making an average of $53,000 per year.

-Abolishes Obamacare’s HSA withdrawal tax.

-Abolishes Obamacare’s 10% excise tax on small businesses with indoor tanning services.

-Abolishes the Obamacare health insurance tax.

-Abolishes the Obamacare 3.8% surtax on investment income.

-Abolishes the Obamacare medical device tax.

-Abolishes the Obamacare tax on prescription medicine.

-Abolishes the Obamacare tax on retiree prescription drug coverage.” (Americans For Tax Reform, Press Statement, 6/22/2017)

BRANDON ARNOLD, National Taxpayers Union: “The Senate’s recently unveiled ‘Better Care Reconciliation Act’ represents yet another critical step toward repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a market-based approach to health care. The bill wisely scraps nearly all of Obamacare’s onerous taxes on individuals, families, and businesses. It provides states with additional flexibility to opt out of the current regulatory framework that is causing premiums to skyrocket. And it makes structural reforms to the Medicaid program that will encourage innovative approaches to providing care to the neediest Americans. While some will inevitably dwell on the bill’s imperfections, and those flaws do exist, it’s important to look at the bigger picture: if Congress wants to repeal Obamacare, it is absolutely imperative for the Senate to pass the Better Care Reconciliation Act and continue that process.” (National Taxpayers Union, Press Release, 6/22/2017)

JOBS GROUPS: ‘The Time Has Come To At Long Last Turn The Page On ‘Obamacare’ And Move Toward A More Market-Oriented, Patient-Centered System’

U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: “The Senate health care bill will help to stabilize crumbling insurance markets caused by the Affordable Care Act, work to curb runaway premium increases, and jettison ill-conceived Washington mandates and taxes that have weighed heavily on our economy. This is an extremely important step in putting doctors and patients ahead of politicians when it comes to American health care. This bill appears to strike an important balance between providing ample attention to the much needed safety net for underserved communities without putting Washington in charge of health care. We have long sought this type of balanced solution that doesn’t jeopardize employer sponsored coverage, while seeking affordable access for all Americans. The Senate’s approach appears to do just that. We know that Obamacare is dangerously close to collapse as millions of Americans are left with fewer and fewer options for health insurance and urge Senators to move forward and ultimately pass this legislation without delay.” (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Press Release, 6/22/2017)

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS (NFIB) President & CEO Juanita Duggan: “The Senate provides massive tax relief by eliminating 11 of the most burdensome Obamacare taxes, which are crushing small businesses and driving up costs. It also eliminates the onerous mandates that discourage job creation, expansion, and investment. This is long overdue, and it is what small business owners want and expect from this Congress. We urge the Senate to pass this bill before the July 4th recess.” (National Federation of Independent Business, Press Release, 6/22/2017)

• NFIB: “Obamacare has been very damaging to small business owners, who continue to struggle with escalating premiums and disappearing choices. NFIB fought Obamacare all the way to the Supreme Court, and our members want it repealed.” (National Federation of Independent Business, Press Release, 6/22/2017)

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WHOLESALER-DISTRIBUTORS (NAW) President & CEO Dirk Van Dongen: “The time has come to at long last turn the page on ‘Obamacare’ and move toward a more market-oriented, patient-centered system, the surest path toward lower cost, higher quality and enhanced access. The approach set forth in the Discussion Draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 takes important strides in this direction, and will strengthen our private, employment-based health benefits system through which 177 million Americans today receive coverage…. NAW looks forward to working with allies in the employer community and on the Hill to win Senate passage of this legislation and to put a bill on the President’s desk at the earliest possible date.” (National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, Press Release, 6/22/2017)

• NAW: “Of particular note in the Discussion Draft are provisions to repeal employer mandate penalties; repeal of the health insurance tax and other cost-generating ACA taxes and delay through 2025 of the implementation of the ‘Cadillac Tax;’ and expanded health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA). The authorization of the formation and multistate operation of small business health plans (SBHP) will enhance access to quality coverage and care for employees of small businesses and is an important plus.” (National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, Press Release, 6/22/2017)

NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION (NRF) Vice President for Health Care Policy Neil Trautwein: “Senator McConnell’s proposal steers health care reform back in the direction of strengthening the competition-driven private insurance market…. Retailers welcome this step forward in the process to repeal many of the most onerous mandates in Obamacare and replace them with policies that will make it easier for employers to offer health care coverage and make it more affordable for their employees.” (National Retail Federation, Press Release, 6/22/2017)

ADVANCED MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION (AdvaMed): “AdvaMed applauds inclusion of permanent repeal of the medical device excise tax as part of the Senate's draft of the American Health Care Act…. Repealing the tax will give the industry the long-term certainty necessary to support future job growth and sustainable, cutting-edge R&D that will ultimately lead to the next generation of breakthroughs in patient care and treatment. Access to these life-changing technologies for patients in America and around the globe will only be enhanced by removing this tax once and for all.” (AdvaMed, Statement, 6/22/2017)

STOP THE HIT COALITION Of Small Business Owners: “We applaud Senate leadership for advancing an immediate and permanent repeal of the Health Insurance Tax (HIT) in their health care bill discussion draft. This is a welcome and much-­needed first step in providing relief from a sorely misguided tax that has plagued small businesses for far too long. Already, health insurance companies are filing preliminary rates in states across the country. Absent immediate action to repeal this tax, small business owners and their employees will face far higher premium costs, forcing painful cuts to benefits and future growth. The time to repeal is now.” (Stop The HIT Coalition, Press Release, 6/23/2017)

EMPLOYERS COUNCIL ON FLEXIBLE COMPENSATION (ECFC): “On behalf of the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation (ECFC), we are writing to thank you for recognizing the importance of consumer-directed health accounts, expanding opportunities for Americans to use these accounts to make their health benefits more affordable, and delaying the Excise Tax in the discussion draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 released on June 22, 2017.” (ECFC, Letter To Sen. McConnell, 6/23/2017)