ATLANTA (June 24, 2009) – Sen. Judson Hill (R-Marietta) this week joined his colleagues of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in passing a resolution deeming federal health reform anti-competitive and oppressive to states’ rights. Federal efforts to establish a Medicare-modeled “public plan” and a national health insurance exchange would trample states’ rights and lead Americans down the road to single-payer health care, said ALEC, a nonpartisan organization of 1,800 state legislators nationwide.
“The public plan and national health insurance exchange will squeeze out private insurance and put us on the road to single-payer health care,” said Hill. “Political pressure to keep premiums low and benefits high will result in millions dropping their private coverage and getting on the federal health care dole. Having the public plan now will mean socialized medicine later.”
The Resolution on Preserving States’ Rights Regarding Federal Health Insurance Exchanges and a Public Plan considers the proposed national health insurance exchange a “federal takeover” of the states’ role in regulating health insurance. The resolution urges Congress not to institute new federal oversight of state health insurance laws as Congress considers health care reform. The creation of a new federal system of regulation for health insurance would be inefficient, unnecessary, not cost-effective, and an additional burden on the health care delivery system.
“The government will never compete unless it can change the rules to win,” says Iowa Representative Linda Upmeyer, minority whip, family nurse practitioner, and chair of ALEC’s Health and Human Services Task Force. “It’s an unlevel playing field when a public plan can shift costs to our state’s private insurers because of low doctor and hospital reimbursement rates, and then raid the federal Treasury for unlimited subsidies,” she added.
“The real goal of national health insurance exchange isn’t competition—it’s a federal power grab that flies in the face of the Tenth Amendment,” says Wisconsin Representative Leah Vukmir, ranking member of the House Committee on Health and Health Care Reform, pediatric nurse practitioner, and ALEC member. “Legislators don’t want a bloated federal health insurance bureaucracy that duplicates the regulatory functions currently performed by states. And our constituents don’t want the feds to run health care like a public utility,” she added.
A member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Sen. Hill is a leading health care reform advocate on a state and national level. As a result of his legislation, Georgia’s Department of Community Health launched a new website earlier this year giving Georgians access to the latest health care quality, cost and health education information. In 2008, he authored and successfully passed the nation’s first patient-centered, prevention-focused free market health care reform legislation, making health care and insurance more affordable for Georgia’s working families. Several of his health care bills have been adopted by national associations as model legislation.
Sen. Hill’s work as a member of ALEC brings him to the forefront of the national health care debate.
Sen. Judson Hill serves as Chairman of Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee and the Republican Caucus Vice Chairman. He represents the 32nd Senate District which includes portions of Cobb and Fulton counties. He may be reached by phone at 404.656.0150 or by e-mail at judson.hill@senate.ga.gov.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
June 24, 2009
For Information Contact:
Raegan Weber, Director
Kallarin Richards, Senior Communications Specialist
kallarin.richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028