Weekly Republican Address Todd Young 11/09/13 FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT PODCAST VIDEO WASHINGTON, DC – Delivering the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) shares some of the many stories he has received from constituents who have had their health insurance canceled and their premiums increase as a result of the president’s health care law.
The full audio of the address is here. Download MP3 for PODCAST
Remarks of Representative Todd Young (R-IN) Weekly Republican Address Bloomington, IN November 9, 2013
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT:
Hello I’m Congressman Todd Young from the great state of Indiana.
In recent weeks, I’ve heard heartbreaking stories from many Hoosiers about the impact the new health care law is having on them and their families. Today I’d like to share with you some of their experiences.
Mike from Bloomington wrote in to say that the plan he has now – which he likes – is being canceled at the end of the year. This, of course, is exactly what the president and other champions of the law promised would not happen. Mike’s new plan will cost him $900 more a month.
Scott from Salem shared his story about how, shortly after being told his company would cover the 20 percent increase for employee health care coverage, several of his co-workers were laid off and annual Christmas bonuses were canceled.
Alan from Jeffersonville asked us for help with his wife Laura’s situation. For eight years now, Laura has been battling a form of incurable cancer. She was getting insurance through our state’s high-risk pool, which is dissolving because of the new law.
After 25 days of trying, the couple was finally able to get on healthcare.gov —only to discover that just one company currently offers insurance for them through the website.
Unfortunately, that company won’t cover Laura’s current doctors, and her out-of pocket-expenses to keep those doctors will go up by more than $20,000 a year. As Alan puts it, their family basically has two choices: ‘one, end her treatment or two, go broke.’
And there’s Marvin from Bloomington, who shared with me this cancelation notice his wife, Kathy, received. To avoid a lapse in coverage, she must sign up for a new plan.
I held up this letter last week at a hearing with the Medicare administrator responsible for the exchange. Her suggestion was that Marvin and Kathy go to the website.
Well sure enough, they tried. Because the White House said the problem was too many people trying to sign up at once, Marvin and Kathy even set their alarm clock for the middle of the night, just so they could log on when there was less traffic.
After a month of trying and getting nowhere, they gave up on the exchange. It now looks like they’ll end up buying private insurance. They know it’ll probably cost more, but they’d rather have that certainty and avoid federal penalties than bear more worry and sleepless nights.
This is what betrayal looks like.
Here you have hardworking people who were repeatedly told not to worry, that their coverage would stay the same and—if anything—their costs would go down. Just the opposite is happening.
Adding insult to injury, the White House – the president – isn’t leveling with us. He’s trying to cover his tracks, claiming he never really made these promises.
No wonder a member of his own party called this a ‘crisis of confidence.’
If the president is truly sorry about all this, he’ll take steps to right this wrong.
That’s why I’ve authored a bill to delay this law’s individual mandate tax – as has the senior senator in our state, Dan Coats. After all, how can you tax people for not buying a product from a website that doesn’t work?
In addition, next week, the House will take up the Keep Your Health Care Act, which will ensure plans available today in the individual market can continue to exist. No one should have to go to their inbox or mailbox in fear of finding out they’re losing a plan they like — or worse, a plan they need.
And we’re going to keep asking hard questions and having hearings so we can get to the bottom of this.
Because the problem isn’t just a website – it’s the whole law. Let’s stop this train wreck now, and give Americans the basic fairness and peace of mind that they deserve.
Thank you for listening.
Office of the Speaker Contact: H-232 The Capitol. Washington D.C. 20515. P: (202) 225-0600. F: (202) 225-5117
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