Alabama Congressman urges Pence to consider states’ rights approach to healthcare reform

Amid fallout from the Republican-led plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, the White House and other top officials are attempting to revive efforts to rework the healthcare law. On Monday, Vice President Mike Pence met with the plan’s primary GOP opponents, the House Freedom Caucus, in an attempt to move forward on new legislation.

Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks, a member of the Freedom Caucus, had been among the most outspoken against the proposal. During the meeting, he appealed to the Vice President to let states lead the way in lowering healthcare costs for citizens.

“We promised America we would work to lower health insurance premiums for struggling American families. Yet the current health care bill does the exact opposite by increasing premiums 15-20% over and above what they would be if we left ObamaCare alone. That makes no sense,” Rep. Brooks reportedly said to Pence.

Though he indicated that he still holds reservations about the American Healthcare Act, the Huntsville-area Representative told Pence that he would support leadership’s bill if an amendment was added to give states more control.

Brooks believes that a state, not the federal government, should decide what qualifies as an “Essential Health Benefit” under the law. Under Obamacare, the Essential Health Benefits mandate forces insurers to provide services like maternity care and treatment for drug abuse even if it is not needed by the plan owner.

“Mr. Vice President, I am confident that health insurance premium costs will decline in Alabama if Alabama has control over health insurance cost drivers,” he said. “If the White House and the rest of the House GOP Conference will agree to this very constructive, cost-reducing, States’ Rights measure, I will vote for the American Health Care Act.”