Levin: “Repeal would mean retreat”
Washington D.C. – Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) today spoke out on the House floor against the Republican health care repeal effort, citing the millions of Americans who are already benefiting from the law's provisions that help seniors, children, working families and small businesses.
KEY POINT: "Repealing it would hurt families all across our nation. Repeal would mean rescission. Taking away benefits from millions of Americans, giving power back to insurance companies. … To repeal would mean retreat."
The following is a full transcript of his remarks:
"Madam Speaker, health reform is an American family law. Repealing it would hurt families all across our nation. Repeal would mean rescission. Taking away benefits from millions of Americans, giving power back to health insurers. Let's be clear: This law is working. Repealing it would have real life consequences for millions of Americans.
"As many as 19 million kids in our country have health problems considered pre-existing conditions. In the past it could have led insurance companies to drop their coverage. This new law changed that.
"One example – there are millions: One mother in my district, Felicia Tisdale, said she is anxious about her daughter's health insurance since she was diagnosed with diabetes at age three. Ms. Tisdale and others like her no longer have to worry about their children being denied coverage.
"More than 1 million young adults are already benefiting from the provision that allows them to stay on their parents plan until they turn 26.
"Just one example. A constituent, Sean McCarthy, an autoworker, told me in a letter that his two children, aged 19 and 23, could not afford to stay in college -- but he was grateful that the new law at least enabled them get health insurance by joining his plan.
And then seniors, millions have seen their out-of-pocket drug costs go down under this new law. Nearly 3 million Medicare recipients have received a reimbursement check in the mail in the last year relating to the doughnut hole.
"One gentleman who I represent, Harry Wimble, of Warren, MI, wrote to me thankful that his wife received $250 that she otherwise would not have. He said his wife paid thousands of dollars out-of-pocket in 2010 because of the doughnut hole.
"Repeal would mean releasing insurance companies once again to impose unreasonable premium increases. To deny insurance to whomever they please, whenever they please. To set annual lifetime benefit limits. To discriminate against women through higher rates and arbitrary definitions of pre-existing conditions.
"To repeal would mean retreat -- retreat from moving America ahead. We will fight that retreat. It will not happen. I reserve the balance of my time."
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