Walden leads panel hearing on Obamacare replacement

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led a session Wednesday on repealing and replacing Obamacare in his committee.

During the session, Walden outlined the plan put forth by House Republicans to give patients greater choice, more control, and lower costs when it comes to their health care. Members were given the opportunity to debate the bill and offer amendments.

A full transcript of Walden’s remarks is included below:

“More than eight months ago, House Republicans unveiled a Better Way, which included our vision for repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a patient-centered, 21st century health care system. Today we begin the process of implementing that vision,” Walden said. “After years of Obamacare’s broken promises, we’re proud to put forth a plan that presents a better way for patients, and for families.”

“Let me be clear, under our plan we are not going backward – we are going forward. We are protecting those patients living with pre-existing conditions. We’re not returning to the days of lifetime caps or annual limits. We will continue to allow young adults to remain on their parents’ policies until age 26. We will keep our promise to not pull the rug out from anyone as we transition away from this failing law. Under our plan, we’re moving forward.

“We’re moving away from a government-run system that is in collapse, and where bureaucrats stand in the way between patients and their doctors. Instead we move forward toward a health care system where one-size-fits-all mandates are a thing of the past. Where states are empowered to innovate and care for their citizens and, most importantly, where patients are actually in charge.

“We create a new and innovative Patient and State Stability Fund to help low-income Americans afford health care and repair the damage done to state insurance markets by Obamacare. Those state insurance markets are in collapse. This fund gives states broad flexibility to design programs that best serve their unique populations.

“We responsibly unwind the Obamacare Medicaid expansion while treating those covered under the expansion today fairly. We refocus Medicaid’s limited resources to patients most in-need. We propose a per capita allotment to determine a fair level of funding for states. This type of allotment has been supported not just by Republicans, but also by key Democrats like former President Bill Clinton who recommended it.

“Simply put, we have a better way to deliver solutions that put patients, not bureaucrats first. We provide the American people with what they’ve asked for all along: greater choice, lower cost, flexibility to choose the plan that best suits their needs.”

Earlier this week, Walden released legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare. For details on this plan, including the full text of the bill, please visit www.readthebill.gop.