Hill: ‘Obamacare is not the solution’
ATLANTA — A state senator from Marietta today filed four pieces of legislation he says will improve Georgians’ access to free-market healthcare solutions.
“In 2010, our federal government decided to enact an unprecedented piece of healthcare legislation that comes at the expense of our core liberties,” state Sen. Judson Hill, R-Marietta, said in a news release.
“Americans should be allowed to decide what health care coverage is right for their needs,” Hill added. “By encouraging competitive free market solutions, we can reduce healthcare costs and give the power of choice back to the people where it belongs.”
In August, a three-judge panel of the 11th Court of Appeals shot down the individual mandate portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which Republicans often refer to as Obamacare. Georgia was one of 26 states that joined a federal lawsuit opposing the measure; the lawsuit is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“There is no doubt that health care reform is needed; however, Obamacare is not the solution and includes a bill we can not afford to pay,” Hill said. “If and when the U.S. Supreme Court rules that any or all of the PPACA is unconstitutional, Georgia will be at the ready to implement health care and insurance reforms that are competitive, affordable and accessible.”
Hill’s office offered the following descriptions of the four bills filed on Tuesday:
SB 475 – The Charitable Care Act – Offers tax credits to 501(c)3 non-profits who provide charitable health care services to the uninsured.
SB 472 – The Flexible Choice Act – Enhances consumer choice by expanding defined contingency plans, encouraging health improvement incentive programs, providing minimum out-of-network coverage and offering tax deductions for the purchase of comprehensive major medical insurance.
SB 471 – Regional Coalition – Authorizes the Georgia Insurance Commissioner to set coverage standards and enter into agreements with other states in order to establish regional reciprocal sales of health insurance across state lines.
SB 476 – The Safety Net Act – Increases the alternatives for individuals whose group policy has been terminated (COBRA), eases the restrictions for plan conversion and portability, and clarifies that only tax dependents can continue on their parents’ insurance to age 25.
