Duffy Votes To Repeal Federal Health Care Bill

Video above courtesy of YouTube.com.

7th District Representative Sean Duffy (R-Ashland) voted today to repeal the federal health care act approved last year.

"The reality is that the existing healthcare law is a budget-busting, job-killing law," Duffy said in a statement online. "The true cost of the law over 10 years is closer to $2.6 trillion. We simply cannot afford to create new healthcare entitlements that will only add trillions more to our existing liabilities, drive up costs even more and put the federal government between patients and their doctors."

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius this week released a new analysis showing that, without the Affordable Care Act, up to 129 million non-elderly Americans who have some type of pre-existing health condition, like heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis or cancer, would be at risk of losing health insurance when they need it most, or be denied coverage altogether.

“The Affordable Care Act is stopping insurance companies from discriminating against Americans with pre-existing conditions and is giving us all more freedom and control over our health care decisions,” said Secretary Sebelius. “The new law is already helping to free Americans from the fear that an insurer will drop, limit or cap their coverage when they need it most. And Americans living with pre-existing conditions are being freed from discrimination in order to get the health coverage they need.”

Prior to the Affordable Care Act, in the vast majority of states, insurance companies in the individual market could deny coverage, charge higher premiums, and/or limit benefits based on pre-existing conditions, a news release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states.

After his vote, Duffy looked to what his next step would be as the 7th District representative.

"Tomorrow, we can begin the work of replacing this government takeover of healthcare with commonsense, market-based reforms that are going to address the rising costs associated with health care and health insurance," he said online.