NASHUA, N.H. — It’s become popular for political analysts to argue that after five years, two major Supreme Court decisions, and a government shutdown, opposition to President Obama’s healthcare law is losing steam as a political issue. But that wasn’t the case here on Wednesday night, when Sen. Marco Rubio received his biggest applause when calling for repealing and replacing Obamacare.
“One more thing we need to reinvigorate our economy – get ready to clap – is repeal and replace Obamacare,” Rubio said to thunderous applause at a townhall meeting at Rivier University, a Catholic liberal arts college that frequently hosts presidential candidates.
Rubio rattled off a litany of problems with the law — the soaring cost of health insurance, reduced access to doctors and hospitals, and the disincentive it creates to employment. He then outlined what a replacement would look like.
“It’s a disaster,” he said. “We need to repeal it entirely and replace it with a new law that says you, the American people, can buy any health insurance you want with pre-tax money or from a refundable tax credit. You can buy any health insurance you decide you need from any company across state lines that will sell it to you. That is a much better approach than this government-mandated system. One that puts you in charge in your health insurance decisions, not the government. Or not at the mercy of an employer.”
The issue came up again when a woman in the audience complained that she and her husband, both self-employed and in their early 60s, saw their monthly premiums skyrocket from $400 a month to $1,500 a month, while deductibles went up from $1,000 to $5,000 and the copayment went from 20 percent to 30 percent. She asked Rubio why Republicans haven’t done more to repeal Obamacare, and what he could do as president to address the issue.
Rubio noted the House GOP efforts to repeal the law, cautioning, “but it’s going to be hard to get Obama to sign a bill that repeals Obamacare.”
He also noted the current bill that will repeal parts of the law through reconciliation. “Will [Obama] veto it? Probably. But when I’m president, I’ll sign it.”
He went on to describe his vision for health reform in more detail.
“We need the American people to see, we’re going to get rid of Obamacare, but we’re also going to replace it with something that’s very straight forward,” he said. “And that is you will now be allowed access to your own pre-tax money. In your case, it would probably be a tax credit — refundable credit that you will be able to use the kind of health insurance you want from any company in America that will sell it to you. The result of that will be competition in the private sector for your business. You know how they’re going to compete for your business? Better prices, better quality.”
He compared it to the way car insurance is currently sold.
“If you don’t believe me, I’m not saying it’s exactly identical, watch television tonight for any length of time,” he said. “I promise you will see an advertisement from either Liberty Mutual, the General, State Farm, Prudential, Allstate, GEICO, Progressive. Why are they fighting so hard? Why do they do so much advertising for your auto insurance business? Because who controls your auto insurance purchases? Does your employer control it? Does the government control it? You control it. And so now there are going to be hundreds of millions of Americans who control their own healthcare purchases. And the private sector will respond to that by creating products to attract your business. And they compete with each other on prices and quality.”
He also argued that this system would allow for more choices.
“By the way, not everybody wants the same kind of health insurance. My 28 year-old single brother-in-law thinks he’s never going to die,” he said. “What he needs is a health savings account for out-of-pocket expenses for the flu or a hangover and a hospitalization plan if God forbid something bad happens. I am a married father of four, I need more comprehensive coverage. But we don’t have those choices. Obamacare says everybody must buy the same kind of plan or nothing at all. We have no competition, no choice, no innovation, and the result is what you’re facing.”
