ACCESS Act Gives More Americans a Personal Option in Health Care
Innovative legislation from Congressman Greg Steube and Congresswoman Kat Cammack offers Americans who depend on health safety nets another option, ensuring they have the same access to quality, affordable health care as wealthier individuals and families.
Arlington, Va. – Today, Americans for Prosperity proudly announced its strong support for H.R. 5608, The ACCESS Act. This innovative legislation, led by U.S. Reps. Greg Steube (FL-17) and Kat Cammack (FL-3), would offer lower-income Americans a personal option in health care, ensuring them access to the same quality, affordable health care enjoyed by wealthier individuals and families.
The ACCESS Act would establish a tax-free health savings account (HSA) option for lower-income families who are eligible for cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) under the Affordable Care Act. Participants could use their HSA funds to purchase medical items and services directly, including those not covered by their insurance, giving them greater access to needed care.
The bill would also reform the CSR payment program to permanently appropriate money for the CSR/HSA program. Thanks to this provision, the bill would save taxpayers an estimated $29 billion over ten years.
“The ACCESS Act is an innovative plan to make health care more accessible and affordable for an estimated five million lower-income families who today struggle under the burden of high inflation and soaring medical prices,” said Congressman Steube. “Our idea is simple. Give people another option – a personal health care option – so they can have better access to medical care than what they currently have. Our legislation would provide better access to affordable choices, needed therapies, and trusted doctors, through directly funded tax-free health savings accounts. On top of that, our bill will save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars by making existing health subsidies more efficient. This is the kind of commonsense reform Republicans were sent to Washington to put in place.”
“Access to affordable care has diminished over the past decade, as the prices of medical care have skyrocketed and provider networks have shrunk. Middle-class families are getting squeezed,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “But with money in an HSA, you can obtain the personalized services you need and see the doctors you trust, even if they’re not covered by your health insurance plan. For working families in my district and across the country this option is a lifesaver and will give many the flexibility to afford visits and procedures they may not be able to otherwise. I am proud to introduce the ACCESS Act today for many reasons, but mostly because it provides more access and more freedom for families whose health care needs aren’t being met by government-controlled health care programs.”
“Funding patients, not systems, is key to fixing what’s broken in health care, and this bill does that,” said Dean Clancy, senior health policy fellow at Americans for Prosperity. “Congressman Steube and Congresswoman Cammack have unveiled a truly innovative health policy solution that, for the first time ever, gives lower-income individuals and families access to the same quality, affordable care that wealthier Americans enjoy. Under this bill, anyone who likes their current health arrangement is free to keep it. But with the option of a pre-funded health savings account, Americans will be empowered to upgrade from substandard government health care to a choice that better meets their needs. The ACCESS Act offers millions of Americans a more personalized option in health care while saving taxpayers nearly $30 billion. We could not be more thrilled to support this measure.”
Click here to learn more about The ACCESS Act, health savings accounts and the Personal Option.
For media inquiries, please contact Geoff Holtzman; gholtzman@afphq.org
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