LETTER: Sullivan outlines plans for replacing Obamacare

This letter us in response to an email from the Anchorage Press regarding Sen. Dan Sullivan’s stance on plans for replacing the Affordable Care Act.

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare.” I appreciate you contacting me on this issue, and welcome the opportunity to respond.

In 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. Americans were promised that they would be able to keep their health care plan if they chose, however millions of Americans have lost their coverage. Americans were promised that they could keep their doctors, and that premiums would be lowered for families. In reality, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the ACA will cost the American people $1.207 trillion from 2016 through 2025.

To date, start-up costs total more than $73.49 billion, and the program is far from being fully implemented. More money has been directed toward incentivizing doctors and hospitals to transition to the new system than toward actual coverage expansion. ACA marketplaces are collapsing all over the United States. There are up to eight states that will have only one provider in the insurance marketplace, including Alaska. These costs are only increasing the tax burden on the American people–not improving their access to affordable care. In short, the ACA has been anything but affordable.

As Attorney General for the State of Alaska, I sued the Obama administration over the constitutionality of the ACA. As your United States Senator, I have continued fighting to repeal and replace this law. This is why I voted in favor of H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act, which repealed most of the policies and mandates implemented by the Affordable Care Act. This law passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but unfortunately President Obama chose to veto this legislation. Voting to repeal the ACA was a promise I made to Alaskans when I ran for office and is a promise that I have wanted to keep.

The ACA has failed to deliver on the promises made by its supporters, especially in Alaska. Premiums for Alaskans are skyrocketing. Alaskan families and businesses are asking for help, as paying for health care coverage is no longer affordable. Not a day goes by when I do not hear from Alaskans who worry about having to make tough choices–food on the table or health care coverage for their family. This is unacceptable and I will not idly stand by while Americans continue to suffer under the weight of this law.

In addition to the increase in taxes, insurance premiums in Alaska are some of the highest in the United States. Small businesses and middle class families in Alaska are being penalized for not taking the federal subsidy while at the same time being forced to change their coverage. As a result, thousands of Alaskans have lost their health care coverage they once relied on, leading to higher deductibles, fewer choices and less freedom. According to media reports in Alaska, the top four highest places to purchase health care are in Alaska.

Until full repeal is realized, Alaskans are desperate for relief. That is why I recently introduced S.3320, the Ensuring Health Care Opportunities Act. This legislation will offer Alaskans, along with residents of states and localities with only one insurance company offering plans on the exchange, immediate relief and the option to buy health insurance that does not include certain Obamacare mandates that might not apply to them. For example, under my legislation, an individual could pick and choose the services that are most important to them. My plan allows tailored plans for each individual instead of paying for a one-size-fits-all package that has caused insurance prices to skyrocket across the United States. Those options are still available for those that want them, but it is clear that a one-size-fits-all approach just does not work. Alaskans are desperate for more health care options and this legislation will provide those choices for all Americans.

This is a fight that I am not tackling alone. There are several bills in the United States Senate that are working to fix sections of the ACA until a full repeal and replace solution can be offered. I am a supporter of legislation that makes health care affordable while getting the government out of the health care business.

Thank you again for contacting me on this issue. If you have any more questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me or my staff. My office can be reached at 202-224-3004, or online at www.sullivan.senate.gov.

Dan Sullivan

United States Senator