House Passes Real Healthcare Reform, Harshbarger Votes Yes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) today applauded passage of the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act , a major Republican-led effort to lower premiums, expand choice, and address the structural failures that have caused the health care marketplace to deteriorate.

"As premiums keep climbing thanks to the Unaffordable Care Act, Democrats continue defending a broken status quo that has failed working families," said Congresswoman Harshbarger. "Republicans are advancing real reforms that finally lower premiums, expand choice, increase flexibility for small businesses, and save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. Democrats want to pour more money into a failed system they created; we're fixing the root causes of rising costs. Our goals are simple: restore choice, lower premiums, strengthen program integrity, and build a health care system that actually works for every American."

BACKGROUND

For years, Democrats have pushed a government-driven, one-size-fits-all health care model built on mandates, subsidies, and bureaucracy. That approach has failed working families and small businesses. Premiums have soared and big insurers have profited enormously, with revenues jumping from $245 billion when Obamacare passed to $1.4 trillion in 2023, while a GAO investigation found NEARLY 100% of fictitious applicants were approved for subsidies, exposing significant waste and fraud.

The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act delivers lower costs by reducing premiums, expanding choice, and empowering workers, families, and small businesses.

• Cracks down on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) middle-men, requiring transparency to help employers negotiate lower drug prices - saving taxpayers $1.9 billion.
• Ends "silver loading" and funds Cost Sharing Reductions (CSR), reducing ACA premiums by 11% (twice the reduction of Democrats' temporary COVID subsidies), saving patients up to $1,871 per year and taxpayers $36.7 billion.
• Expands Association Health Plans, allowing small businesses and self-employed workers to band together, cutting premiums by up to 30%.
• Protects employer-sponsored insurance, including access to stop-loss insurance so small businesses can manage high-cost claims.
• Strengthens CHOICE Arrangements, enabling employers to offer flexible, tax-advantaged benefits - 83% of participating employers are offering health coverage for the first time.

These reforms target the root causes of rising premiums instead of pouring more money into the failure that is the Unaffordable Care Act.