Rep. Dan Donovan wants health care reform outside AHCA

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As the U.S. Senate considers an attempt to pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare or just to repeal it, Rep. Daniel Donovan supports a piecemeal approach to fixing the health insurance system, as neither Senate bill has enough support to pass.

The House of Representatives passed the repeal-replacement bill in May, and Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) voted against it.

Next week, the Senate may vote on a bill, but it's unclear which version, or whether GOP leaders have enough votes to start debate through a motion to proceed.

In an op-ed on Medium, Donovan expressed frustration that partisan politics is standing in the way of reforming the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, to lower costs for individuals and businesses.

He noted the Democrat-only passage of Obamacare and the GOP-only votes on the American Health Care Act that seeks to repeal and replace it.

"The reality is, we can't change a $4 trillion industry every time a new political party takes control of a different branch of government," Donovan wrote. "Americans deserve to know they will have access to stable, affordable, and quality healthcare no matter what party controls Congress or the White House."

Congress should focus on piecemeal reform, Donovan suggests, like when the House passed the Small Business Health Fairness Act in March, permitting small businesses to get their insurance through group health plans sponsored by business associations, which may allow them to negotiate lower health care costs for their employees.

While the AHCA is held up, Donovan wants to nix the individual mandate that charges uninsured people fines, and wants to see people purchasing insurance across state lines, which he argues will "drive down costs and increase consumer choice."

Two major issues not covered in the AHCA is much-needed medical malpractice reform and the ability for Medicare to negotiate drug prices, reform in the health care debate that politicians on both sides of the aisle have championed.

While different estimated savings are available, Donovan, cites a Carleton University study that found if the government could negotiate Medicare drug costs instead of insurance companies, it could save up to $16 billion annually.

The congressman also advocates making it harder to sue for frivolous cases, thus lowering medical malpractice insurance costs, which drive up other costs.

The House passed the Protecting Access to Care Act in June, to address the fact that most doctors practice "defensive medicine," ordering unnecessary and costly tests and procedures to prevent litigation.

The bill would limit damages for most malpractice cases to $250,000.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates a $50 billion savings over a decade if passed by the Senate.

Donovan also wrote about his support for employer-sponsored wellness programs for employees to incentivize healthy lifestyle choices, giving workplace rewards or insurance premium credits.

Lastly, the congressman wants to see an increase in the cap on health savings account contributions, with the argument that "You spend your money better than government spends your money," Donovan wrote. "By increasing the tax-free contribution limit to health savings accounts, Congress can help families save their own money for their own healthcare needs."

He touted his support for the "common-sense policies that both parties should get behind."

"It's not a 'win' to see the other political party struggle in defeat. Our country deserves representation that can solve problems, not revel foolishly in pyrrhic victories. We've been asking America to believe that Congress will pass a replacement plan to make care more affordable and accessible. Let's pass these reforms into law to show the American people that it can actually happen."

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