WHEATON – Times are tough for Obamacare, and they’re even tougher for Illinois families.
Last week, the state announced the imminent closure of Land of Lincoln Health, a taxpayer-funded co-op created under Obamacare as an alternative to traditional health insurance providers. Land of Lincoln becomes the 16th co-op to collapse, leaving only seven of the original 23 still operating across the country. This co-op’s failure alone leaves American taxpayers holding the bag for over $160 million and 49,000 Illinoisans without healthcare coverage.
U.S. Representative Peter J. Roskam, Chairman of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Oversight, is announcing his support for a proposal by Rep. Adrian Smith to provide an exemption from the individual mandate for the remainder of the calendar year for those who lose coverage because their co-op becomes insolvent.
One week earlier, Chairman Roskam held an Oversight hearing on the Obama administration’s illegal funding of Obamacare’s cost sharing reduction program. It followed the release of a joint Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce Committee report unveiling new details about the administration’s decision to violate the Constitution, circumvent appropriations law, and obstruct a congressional investigation.
The Obamacare legacy is clear. The government takeover of healthcare has failed us. Americans pay more and receive less. That’s why Chairman Roskam supports a better way forward.
"Our plan creates more choices and lowers costs for everyone. We want real protections and peace of mind for families as they make the best decisions for their own individual circumstances. We want to clear the way for the development of cutting-edge cures and treatments. We want to protect Medicare for today’s seniors and strengthen the program for the future," Roskam said in a statement Tuesday.
Learn more about the Republican Caucus' Better Way to fix healthcare.