June 28, 2012

Representative Mike Brown
State Capitol Building Rm. 545
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma  73105
Contact: Valorie Owens
405-962-7604

                                                           

Brown: State to Suffer due to Governor and GOP’s Inaction

on Health Exchange  

 

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 28, 2012) The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on health care reform will have a profound effect on hard-working, middle class families who will be protected from insurance company abuses, such as having unchecked power to cancel policies, deny coverage, or charge women more than men.  

“This was a case of David versus Goliath, in which Goliath was the deep-pocketed insurance industry, and David was the 129 million people with pre-existing conditions and millions of middle class families who lacked any security of affordable health coverage,” said Rep. Mike Brown, D-Tahlequah.

“I am very pleased that pressure from special interests was not able to take the slingshot out of David’s hand, and that the Supreme Court made their ruling based on the Constitution, not electoral politics.”

Rep. Brown noted that Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., appointed by former President George W. Bush, ruled in favor of upholding the Affordable Care Act. 

With this ruling, however, Rep. Brown has concerns given the blasé attitude Republican leadership has had towards implementing a state exchange by the November deadline. If this deadline is not met, Oklahoma will automatically be absorbed into the federal system. 

Rep. Brown pointed to the initial acceptance, then rejection, of $54 million in federal money by Governor Mary Fallin to set up the state change. 

With no new revenue source, he now questions which core services will be cut in order to replace the forfeited $54 million in federal grants. 

“For purely political purposes, Gov. Fallin flip-flopped on her decision to accept federal dollars for the state exchange, which at the time she said we were lucky to receive. She refused these dollars and refrained from making any other effort to be in federal compliance. So here we are now – our state is short $54 million and Gov. Fallin has egg on her face.”

“Like the saying goes, ignorance (or refusal to acknowledge) the law, excuses no one.”

“Gov. Fallin and Republican leadership gambled that the Supreme Court would overturn the Affordable Care Act, and did nothing in the meantime, which in my opinion amounts to a dereliction of duty to the people of Oklahoma.”

 

Provisions of the Affordable Care Act

 

• Preventive care will be covered free of charge by insurance companies–including mammograms for women and wellness visits for seniors.
• Soon, no American will ever again be denied care or charged more due to a pre-existing condition, like cancer or even asthma.
• By August, millions of Americans will receive a rebate because their insurance company spent too much of their premium on administrative costs or CEO bonuses.   
• Many seniors will continue to save $600 a year on their prescription drugs. 
• Millions of young adults will still be able to stay on their family’s plan until they’re 26.

 

The Security of Affordable Coverage – Benefits & Protections By the Numbers:

 

• $10.7 billion has been recovered by cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare all while securing and protecting the benefits seniors have earned.
• 86 million Americans have benefitted from free preventive services like mammograms for women or wellness visits for seniors.
• 17 million children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage.
• 12.8 million Americans will benefit from rebates because their insurance company spent too much of their premium dollars on administrative costs or CEO bonuses.
• 6.6 million young adults have the security of coverage until age 26.
• 5.3 million Americans on Medicare have saved an average of $600 on their prescription drugs.
• 70,000 Americans with pre-existing conditions now have the security of coverage.

 

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