WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) delivered remarks on the House floor in support of legislation to lower health care costs for hardworking Texans and families across the country. During his remarks, Rep. Pfluger highlighted a firsthand account from a constituent about issues they have experienced with the ACA marketplace, underscoring the systematic fraud that plagues the current system.
Rep. Pfluger then voted to pass the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act – a solid first step in House Republicans' work to fix America's broken health care system and put patients first. Unfortunately, every single House Democrat voted against this measure today and for keeping Americans trapped in a broken system.
The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act will:
· Lower health care premium costsby 11% through cost-sharing reduction payments
· Increase price transparency by holding pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) accountable and eliminating hidden prescription drug costs
· Codifies Association Health Plans and CHOICE Arrangements to allow small employers to band together for group purchasing power and provides tax-advantaged flexible benefits, avoiding costly ACA marketplace plans.
· Protects stop-loss insurance for small businesses by preserving their ability to offer employees more tailored, affordable health care.
Read the full text of the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans ActHERE.
House Republicans remain focused on delivering real solutions that reduce costs, increase competition, and restore patient choice to the health care system. And as Rep. Pfluger emphasized in his remarks, this legislation is a great first step, but more is needed to deliver the lasting and meaningful relief Americans need.
That's why Rep. Pfluger is leading the House version of Senator Rick Scott's More Affordable Care Act to redirect power away from insurance companies and federal bureaucracies and put it back into the hands of consumers. Read more about this legislation HERE.
Watch Rep. Pfluger's remarks n the House Floor HEREor by clicking the image below.
Read Rep. Pfluger's remarks as prepared for delivery:
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6703, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act.
Since its inception, Obamacare has failed to deliver on its promises, leaving millions of Americans with higher premiums, fewer choices, and less coverage. It is plagued by fraud and waste of taxpayer dollars. Today, the average family premium is nearing $27,000—simply unaffordable.
Mr. Speaker, I recently had a constituent write in to me outlining her and her husband’s experience demonstrating systematic fraud within the ACA Marketplace. Her husband has been repeatedly enrolled in an ACA plan without consent since November 2023 in a scheme where brokers and agents are fraudulently enrolling individuals to collect commissions and meet enrollment quotas. This broker gained unauthorized access to his prescription records and replaced his legitimate employer-sponsored insurance coverage at his pharmacy. I wish I could say these examples are one-time instances, but they are not.
They represent the broader failure that is Obamacare. We must take action to fix this broken system and make health care affordable for ALL Americans – not just a small percentage like Obamacare does.
The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act is a great first step toward this mission and will drive down health insurance premiums by 11% through cost-sharing reduction payments, provide patients with greater price transparency, and support small businesses that offer employment-based health care. And we should do more as a Republican Conference, including creating Trump Health Freedom Accounts and allowing Americans to shop for coverage across state lines.
