Rep. Simpson Supports Bill to Lower Health Care Premiums and Save Taxpayers Billions

WASHINGTON- Today, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson voted in favor of H.R. 6703 - the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act. This legislation offers common-sense, market-based reforms to lower health care premium costs, expand access to quality care, provide every American with more options and flexibility to choose coverage that works for them, and bring greater transparency to America's health care system.

"Both Republicans and Democrats are serious about lowering the cost of health care. While we may have different ideas on how to fix the problem, the reality is that throwing more money at it through the Unaffordable Care Act has destroyed our nation's health care system. The problems Republicans warned about more than ten years ago are now happening: increased fraud, inflated costs, reduced private coverage, and fewer options for Americans, all while health insurers collect big checks from Washington. The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act provides much-needed reform to lower health care costs for all Americans, not just those benefiting from the Biden COVID bonuses. This bill is a step in the right direction to fix our broken health care system," said Rep. Simpson.

Background:

• Former President Obama said, "My health-care plan [will] lower health-care costs for the typical family by $2,500 a year, and you can keep your same coverage and your same doctor."
• • Since Obamacare passed, premiums have gone up by 80%.
  • Since 2000, the average health insurance premium has surged by 350%.
  • The average cost of a family's annual health insurance premium is nearly $27,000 - an all-time high.
  • Premiums have risen faster than inflation for three years in a row.
  • Obamacare plan premiums have increased nearly twice as fast as employer-based plan premiums since 2014.
• A new preliminary report by the non-partisan Government Accountability Office found serious vulnerabilities in the ACA marketplace, including fictitious identities receiving taxpayer dollars and the misuse of Social Security numbers (Report).
• Republicans have worked hard this Congress to lower the costs of health care and are already on the record from earlier this year voting to lower premium costs by at least 11% starting January 1, 2026. Every single House Democrat voted against it (Page 408).

The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act:

• Lowers premium costs through cost-sharing reduction payments.
• Brings pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) transparency and removes hidden costs of prescription drugs.
• Allows small business owners and independent workers to form association health plans.
• Provides more choices for employees to customize their health care plans.
• Protects small businesses from costly regulatory overreach.

The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act lowers Obamacare premiums by 12% and saves taxpayers more than $35 billion over ten years. This legislation passed with a vote of 216-211.