New House Passes Legislation to Repeal PPACA

Business as Usual for Cigna
Cigna continues to support affordable, high-quality health care for all Americans. Despite the House vote to repeal PPACA, we maintain our focus on our customers and the implementation of the current requirements. From our perspective, there is still much work to be done to improve the affordability and quality of health care.

As we support sustainable health care reform, we will continue to engage with lawmakers to ensure proposed modifications to PPACA provisions are in the best interest of customers, employer-clients, brokers, consultants and health care professionals.

 

January 20, 2011

Swift Action
On January 19, 2011, members of the new Republicancontrolled House of Representatives passed a bill by a vote of 245-189, a measure to repeal the Obama Administration’s nearly $900 billion health care reform legislation, also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Three Democrats joined the House’s 242 Republicans in unanimously supporting the bill. Republicans have not yet presented a substitute bill to replace PPACA.

Administration Response
Several members of President Obama’s Cabinet, including Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, warn that reversing the health care bill poses a severe threat to the nation’s economy. According to a letter released to Congress from Sebelius, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, repeal would lead to "higher costs and skyrocketing premiums, less competition, and fewer consumer protections against industry abuses.”

Next Steps
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) said he would not introduce the measure for vote on the Senate floor, and President Obama has said he would veto the bill if it made it to his desk. Health care reform is considered one of the Obama Administration’s cornerstone initiatives.

Despite the obstacles they face in repealing the legislation, House Republicans have stated they are intent on finding ways to block the law, including a measure on January 20 instructing three House committees to create a new health care bill.

We will continue to update you as the legislation proceeds and new information becomes available.
Please visit our website, www.InformedonReform.com, for additional PPACA news and information.

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