Burr, Hatch, Upton Unveil Obamacare Replacement Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) unveiled the Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility, and Empowerment (CARE) Act—a legislative plan that repeals Obamacare and replaces it with common-sense, patient-focused reforms that reduce health care costs and increase access to affordable, high-quality care.  In contrast with Obamacare and its government-centered mandates and regulations, this bicameral proposal empowers the American people to make the best health care choices for themselves and their families. 

“The American people have found out what is in Obamacare— broken promises in the form of increased health care costs, costly mandates, and government bureaucracy.  They don’t like it and don’t want to keep it,” said Burr.  “Our nation’s health care system was broken before Obamacare, and the President’s health care debacle has only made things worse.  The Patient CARE Act repeals Obamacare and addresses the fundamental cost drivers that Obamacare failed to address.  We can lower costs and expand access to quality coverage and care by empowering individuals and their families to make their own health care decisions, rather than having the federal government make those decisions for them.” 

“From higher premiums and surprise tax bills, to patients losing plans they once enjoyed and hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on failed state exchanges, Obamacare has been a series of sorry surprises and broken promises.  Yet, the ultimate failure of the law lies in its DNA – its inability to drive down costs making the law unsustainable and unaffordable,” Hatch said.  “Today, we offer a bold bicameral plan that fully repeals and replaces the healthcare law with reforms that empower patients – not Washington.  We agree we can’t return to the status quo of the pre-Obamacare world, so we equip patients with tools that will drive down costs while also ensuring those with pre-existing conditions and the young are protected.  Our plan allows patients to make healthcare decisions for themselves - without a maze of mandates, fines, and taxes.  This plan is achievable, and above all, fiscally sustainable.  And, unlike the passage of Obamacare, which was done in secret, we welcome input from the American people as we move this plan forward.” 

“Five years ago, America needed health reform. What we got was a law that has divided the country and hurt too many of the families that reform could have helped. Now, when I ask folks in Michigan what they’re looking for in health reform, the answer is simple: they want us to roll up our sleeves and get to work, and that is what we have been doing for months, years even. They want real ideas on the table so we can have an honest debate,” said Upton. “The health care law has already changed how so many Americans access care, and the possibility of even more disruption lies ahead. Just as I offered the Keep Your Health Plan Act to give Americans more affordable choices, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the Senate to offer the Patient CARE Act to create even more options and flexibility. Republicans have always had positive ideas for how to strengthen our health care system by protecting patients with preexisting conditions, and empowering Americans with more affordable health care choices and transparency. With the Patient CARE Act, we’re presenting these ideas to the American people and offering a path to the health coverage and care they want and need."

Following today’s release of the plan, the three lawmakers look forward to working with their Senate and House colleagues, states, and experts across the health care community to further refine and improve this blueprint with the goal of replacing Obamacare with common-sense reforms that lower health care costs and empower Americans in their health care choices and decisions. 

The Patient CARE Act provides a legislative roadmap to repeal the President’s health care law known as Obamacare and replace the law with common-sense measures that would:

Establish sustainable, patient-focused reforms:

• Adopt common-sense consumer protections;
• Create a new protection to help Americans with pre-existing conditions;
• Empower small businesses and individuals with purchasing power;
• Empower states with more tools to help provide coverage while reducing costs; and
• Strengthen consumer directed health care and allow Americans to buy coverage across state lines.

Modernize Medicaid to provide better coverage and care to patients:

• Transition to capped allotment to provide states with predictable funding and flexibility.

Reduce defensive medicine and rein in frivolous lawsuits: 

• Medical Malpractice reforms.

Increase health care price transparency to empower consumers and patients:

• Require basic health care transparency to inform and empower patients.

Reduce distortions in the tax code that drive up health care costs: 

• Cap the exclusion of an employee’s employer-provided health coverage.

Empower Small Businesses and Individuals with Purchasing Power:

• Targeted tax credit to help buy health care. 

To read the Patient CARE Act, click HERE.

To read a two-page summary, click HERE.

To read a list of Frequently Asked Questions, click HERE.

To read a list of illustrative examples, click HERE.

To see a comparison of Patient CARE with Obamacare, click HERE.

To see what they're saying about the Patient CARE Act, click HERE.

To see the Centers for Health and Economy analysis of the Patient CARE Act, click HERE. 

To see the letter seeking idea from governors on Patient CARE Act, click HERE.

# # #