Crapo Statement on King v. Burwell Decision
Washington, D.C. -Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today released the following statement after the Supreme Court issued its ruling in the King v. Burwell case:
"Today's ruling is disappointing and in no way validates the President's health care law as some are claiming," said Crapo. "The court did not rule on the merits of Obamacare, but, rather, on a one sentence provision in a 2700-page ill-advised law. Obamacare is broken-plain and simple. Millions of Americans, including thousands of Idahoans, have been pushed from their preferred health plans and doctors and continue to see their premiums rise. In some cases, by as much as fifty percent in just two years-contrary to the President's many oft-repeated promises. Though this particular window of what many have viewed as an opportunity to swiftly replace the law with reforms may be closed, I will continue to work with my colleagues to push for nothing short of a full repeal of Obamacare. Only when we address the real drivers of the cost of health care in this country and put in place market-oriented solutions, such as allowing states flexibility to regulate the insurance market and prioritizing the doctor-patient relationship over federal mandates,will Americans have access to the truly affordable, quality health care they want and deserve."
Background:
Crapo has been an opponent of Obamacare since it was initially proposed and voted against final passage when it was considered in the Senate in 2009. The Idaho lawmaker has backed repeated legislative efforts to repeal, defund and dismantle Obamacare, including championing legislation to protect lower-and-middle income Americans from tax increases contained in the law.
During the national debate and since then, Crapo has pushed for alternative, common-sense solutions aimed at driving down the cost of health care in the United States and providing better access to quality care for all Americans without the predicted failures that are inherent in Obamacare. Among them, provisions that would realign payment incentives toward patient outcomes rather than the number of procedures administered; promote wellness and prevention programs; encourage small businesses to pool together to purchase insurance; allow insurance companies to sell across state lines to increase competition; and eliminate the waste, fraud and abuse that contributes to the rising cost of health care. Additionally, Crapo has been a long-time supporter of consumer-driven initiatives that would allow individuals to find benefit options that best meet their needs. For example, expanding effective and popular Health Savings Accounts would do so without increasing taxes or expanding the government.
