Congresswoman Miller Speaks at Health Subcommittee Hearing on Unaffordable Health Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) spoke at the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing on how health care has become unaffordable for families and small businesses because of Democrat’s inflationary policies. 

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 Congresswoman Miller asked Ms. Kelley Moore about the difficulty of cutting health insurance benefits for her employees.
 
"I want to thank you for showing the respect that you have for your employees, and how important they are to your business. So many times people in this bubble, don't. They seem to think employers are the bad guys, and you're not. You do really appreciate your employees; you shared the difficulties of being a small business owner in the Appalachian region. You talked about your experience having to cut health insurance benefits for your employees, can you just talk a bit about making that decision, and how hard it was as a business owner?” said Congresswoman Miller. 
 
“I will share and I will try not to tear up because these are individuals, we know their children, we know their extended families. When I had to look an adult man in the face and tell him, "I can't help you anymore, find insurance for your family, for your two growing sons, and I know that your wife is not eligible for her insurance. I can't do a single thing for you." I couldn't even, because of the mandates, supplement and give him extra money to help find insurance. My hands were totally tied,” said Ms. Moore.

Congresswoman Miller proceeded to question Mr. Matt Niswander on the cost of health care in rural America.
 
“Being a health care provider for such a rural community certainly gives you a unique insight into the struggles of rural America, and what we face when trying to receive health care. Have you seen patients who are unwilling to get treatment for their medical services, because they're worried about the high costs?” said Congresswoman Miller.
 
“Last week, I had a patient that came in that I haven’t seen for a long time, who’s a very brittle diabetic who needs several bottles of this $30 insulin every month that she can’t afford and she delayed care for many months even from calling me. To the point that her foot developed a necrotic wound that put her in the hospital with a high deductible plan on the ACA coverage - we may have to amputate that foot now. She had the fear of the high deductible plan that kept her from getting care,” said Mr. Niswander.
 
Congresswoman Miller concluded her questioning by asking Mr. Niswander on the best ways to maintaining health care workers in rural practices.

"Another issue I feel is an obstacle to quality health care in rural America is the difficulty retaining a robust rural health workforce. Can you talk just a bit about finding health care providers to come and join your practice?” said Congresswoman Miller.

"“The pandemic is over, but the price increases are not. It’s very difficult in rural America. Insurance reimbursement rates are fixed - we have no bargaining power whatsoever. Expenses are going up. That translated into many medical practices closing down because of the strain that it puts on the ones that are left. Over 70% of psychiatrists do not accept insurance because the reimbursement rates are so terrible. Our patients are suffering because rural American hospitals and medical providers are shutting down left and right,” said Mr. Niswander. 
 
Background:

Democrat one-size fits all policies caused the problem of unaffordable health care:

• Obamacare’s strict coverage and benefits mandates skyrocketed health insurance costs, more than doubling premium and deductible costs for patients and families.
• Democrats intentionally designed Obamacare to transfer patients off their preferred private employer coverage and onto government programs such as Medicaid and subsidized Obamacare. 

Government over-subsidization has led to higher health insurance costs:

• Obamacare’s inflationary tax credit subsidies hide the true cost of rising health insurance premiums for patients – without actually lowering them. 
• Ways and Means Democrats and President Biden expanded these taxpayer-funded subsidies to include wealthy families making up to $599,000 per year.  

Small businesses are struggling to offer affordable health insurance coverage:

• Small business employers widely value offering quality health insurance as an important benefit to attract and retain a needed workforce but face administrative burdens and federal regulations when providing health insurance. 
• Small business health insurance premiums have increased dramatically; consequentially, now only 30 percent of small businesses are offering health insurance, leaving more workers without this valued benefit.

President Biden’s inflation crisis has worsened unaffordability throughout the entire health system:

• Since Biden has been in office, the cost of medical equipment and supplies have increased by 15 percent and labor expenses have skyrocketed due to historic inflation, greatly increasing input costs for small, independent medical providers. 
• These combined factors ultimately increase costs for patients and threaten access to health care, especially in rural areas

 
Witnesses:

• Kelly Moore, Owner, NAPA Auto Parts
• Matt Niswander, Owner and Nurse Practitioner, Niswander Family Medicine
• Brian Blase, President, Paragon Health Institute
• Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
• Patricia Kelmar, Senior Director of Health Care Campaigns, US Public Interest Research Group

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