Fear-mongering not helpful to legitimate debate

By Mike Stenhouse

Providence, RI –  Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the nonpartisan Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity issued a statement, following a news conference today by Governor Gina Raimondo about her concerns about the proposed federal American Healthcare Act (AHA), which is being advanced in Washington, D.C.

“In conference calls over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to speak directly with members of the US Congress who are crafting the new federal healthcare reforms. Unfortunately, the Governor and others on the left do not understand the goals of these reforms; they see government-run Medicaid as the end-all, be-all when it comes to health insurance coverage; and they are spreading unnecessary fears about the proposed federal reforms. Even though Medicaid is a taxpayer-costly, low-quality insurance option, no one will be thrown off or defunded from the system.

The American Healthcare Act seeks to responsibly provide more US citizens with higher-quality, more cost-effective private insurance. This will be achieved through a generous new program of tax-credits and/or payroll deductions that will give Rhode Islanders more choices and multiple new options when it comes to purchasing an insurance plan that best fits their needs. This as opposed to the one-sized-fits-all government mandated coverage that American are now forced to purchase.

Further, the state block-grant aspect of the AHA, will give the Governor, other lawmakers, and health care officials tremendous new flexibility to innovate when it comes to utilizing federal funds in a manner that best suits our state.”