Griffin Shares Arkansan's Obamacare Experience with HHS Official, Highlights Alternative Reform Plan

Press Release

Congressman Tim Griffin (AR-02) issued the following statement after questioning Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on the problems Americans are experiencing with the Obama Administration's implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare:

"Because of Obamacare, folks around the country and in Arkansas are losing insurance plans they would have liked to keep, and some are facing premiums that have doubled, tripled or worse. As the disastrous rollout of this harmful law and its broken website makes clear, this isn't the way to expand access, guarantee coverage and lower costs -- which is why I'm going to keep fighting for real, patient-centered reform that protects those with pre-existing conditions, ensures affordability and improves the quality of care."

In today's Ways and Means Committee hearing, Rep. Griffin read a comment he received from an Arkansas state employee in Little Rock who forwarded a copy of the Employee Benefits Division's newsletter "The Buzz."

"Our insurance covers less and costs more," the employee wrote to Rep. Griffin. "It ["The Buzz'] says, "These changes were made to more closely align the plans with the Affordable Care Act,' and in another sentence, "Because of this, the value of the plans were lowered to be more in line with the law.' I am quite disgusted. Just [because] the federal government is starting a health insurance market place doesn't mean that my coverage needs to change, but it has, and it has changed for the worse."

Rep. Griffin is a cosponsor of The American Health Care Reform Act (H.R. 3121), which would repeal and replace Obamacare.

Today's hearing also featured a heated exchange between Rep. Griffin and Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell (NJ-09). Griffin pointed out that the health care reform plan he supports as an alternative to Obamacare would protect individuals with pre-existing conditions against discrimination.

Rep. Griffin, along with Sen. John Boozman (AR), Rep. Rick Crawford (AR-01), Rep. Steve Womack (AR-03) and Rep. Tom Cotton (AR-04), sent a letter yesterday to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius expressing concern about the impact of Obamacare on the availability and affordability of health insurance plans in Arkansas.

Today, CBS News reported: "[M]ore than two million Americans have been told they cannot renew their current insurance policies -- more than triple the number of people said to be buying insurance under the new Affordable Care Act[.]"

Yesterday, NBC News reported: "President Obama repeatedly assured Americans that after the Affordable Care Act became law, people who liked their health insurance would be able to keep it. But millions of Americans are getting or are about to get cancellation letters for their health insurance under Obamacare, say experts, and the Obama administration has known that for at least three years. Four sources deeply involved in the Affordable Care Act tell NBC NEWS that 50 to 75 percent of the 14 million consumers who buy their insurance individually can expect to receive a "cancellation' letter or the equivalent over the next year because their existing policies don't meet the standards mandated by the new health care law. One expert predicts that number could reach as high as 80 percent. And all say that many of those forced to buy pricier new policies will experience "sticker shock.'"

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