U.S. Rep. Paul Broun said on Tuesday that he opposed a Republican proposal to let Americans keep their health insurance policies for another year because "Obamacare is simply not fixable."
"What the House Republican leadership failed to see is that you can't fix a law that will cripple our economy, increase our nation's debt, and limit healthcare options for millions of Americans," Broun, of Georgia, said in an article on
Breitbart.com. "Congress must stop wasting time passing bills to keep Obamacare in place."
Broun, a tea party-backed Republican, is a practicing physician. He has long opposed Obamacare, arguing that the law should be repealed altogether.
The GOP-controlled
House voted 261-157 last week to allow insurers to sell for another year health policies that do not meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.
Thirty-nine Democrats broke ranks to support the "Keep Your Health Plan Act," sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan.
Broun was among four Republicans opposing the legislation. The others were Reps. Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma, Ralph Hall of Texas, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Meanwhile, a Senate version — proposed by Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat facing re-election next year — is expected to be voted on soon.
"I will continue to stand strong against shortsighted 'fixes' to this law," Broun said in his Breitbart piece.
"This legislation would at best delay Obamacare's impact on Americans, forcing them to endure the same problems again next year," he continued. "It would not guarantee that any American who lost their plan due to the new standards under Obamacare would be able to get that plan back."
Further, the Keep Your Plan Act would create "a tremendous amount of chaos for insurance companies, leading to additional delays and instability for the very customers the bill is supposed to help," Broun said.
He called for "a swift, full repeal of Obamacare" and "a new, patient-centered plan."
That plan is the Patient Option Act that Broun introduced in March. The legislation, which has not been voted on by the House, would put patients in charge of all of their healthcare decisions.
"Healthcare would be accessible to all Americans, even those with pre-existing conditions, through market-based solutions," he said. "These include the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines, 100 percent tax deductibility, expanded contributions to health savings accounts, association pools, and incentives to physicians offering indigent patient care."
The initiatives, he said, would "make health insurance cheaper for everyone, provide access to quality care for all Americans, and save Medicare from going broke."
"Instead of wasting time trying to fix a law that is destructive to our economy and healthcare system, let's focus our efforts towards a full repeal of Obamacare," Broun concluded. "The Patient Option Act does that, while addressing some of the fundamental problems associated with healthcare financing today."
He said a vote on his proposal would put Congress on a path toward working to provide "Americans with the affordable and quality care they deserve, without expanding the reach of federal government and sacrificing our valued freedoms."
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