U.S. Congressman August Pfluger (R) gave an impassioned plea on the House floor in support of legislation aimed at lowering healthcare costs for Texans and families nationwide, highlighting what he describes as systemic problems within the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
During his remarks, Pfluger shared a firsthand account from a constituent who experienced repeated unauthorized enrollment in an ACA plan, an issue he argues illustrates broader fraud and waste within the current system.
Following his speech, Pfluger voted in favor of the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which passed in the House without any Democratic support.
"Since its inception, Obamacare has failed to deliver on its promises, leaving millions of Americans with higher premiums, fewer choices, and less coverage," said Pfluger. "It is plagued by fraud and waste of taxpayer dollars. Today, the average family premium is nearing $27,000, simply unaffordable."
Pfluger detailed the constituent's experience, stating that her husband had been enrolled in an ACA plan without consent as part of a scheme involving fraudulent broker enrollments. According to Pfluger, the broker gained unauthorized access to prescription records and replaced the individual's employer-sponsored insurance coverage at a pharmacy.
"I wish I could say these examples are one-time instances, but they are not," said Pfluger. "They represent the broader failure that is Obamacare."
The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act aims to reduce premiums by 11 percent through cost-sharing reduction payments, increase price transparency by holding pharmacy benefit managers accountable, and expand access to association health plans and CHOICE arrangements for small employers.
The bill also protects stop-loss insurance for small businesses.
Pfluger emphasized that while legislation is an important first step, additional reforms are needed. He pointed to his leadership regarding the House version of Senator Rick Scott's More Affordable Care Act as a broader effort to shift power away from insurers and federal bureaucracies and back to consumers.
