But rather than listening to his constituents, sticking up for health care protections for Pennsylvanians and working to
lower costs, Representative Mike Kelly voted to weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions, to cut billions
of dollars form Medicare and Medicaid, and to drive up health care costs. What’s even more disturbing, Kelly voted to give
huge tax breaks to big insurance and drug companies at the very same time he voted to sabotage Pennsylvanians’ health
care.
Despite running in a competitive district this cycle, Mike Kelly boasts that his goal on the Affordable Care Act was “full
repeal” Kelly’s health care record is clear: he has voted to repeal health care, he voted to sabotage it -- and he should
own it. The following report offers more details about Mike Kelly’s record on health care.
Mike Kelly Wants To Repeal The Affordable Care Act And Its Protections For 5.3 Million Pennsylvanians With
Pre-existing Conditions
Mike Kelly voted for House Republicans’ repeal bill, which would have raised premiums, stripped coverage from
millions, and weakened protection for people with pre-existing conditions. Kelly voted for passage of the American
Health Care Act, which would have led roughly 777,000 Pennsylvanians to lose coverage by 2026 under this bill. The
nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the American Health Care Act would have raised premiums 20
percent in 2018. The bill also imposed what the AARP calls an “age tax” on older Americans, meaning out-of-pocket costs
for older Pennsylvanians could increase by as much as $9,734 by 2026. The negative economic impact of the American
Health Care Act would cause 51,586 Pennsylvanians to lose their jobs by 2022.
Kelly Said His Goal Was “Full Repeal.” “Representative Kelly and House Republicans have tackled ObamaCare on all
fronts and share the same end goal: full repeal.” [Kelly.House.Gov, accessed 9/24/18]
2011: Kelly Voted For A Total Repeal Of The ACA. Kelly voted for The "Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act"
would have repealed all of the Affordable Care Act.
2011: Kelly Voted To Repeal And Defund The ACA. Sessions voted for the fiscal 2012 budget that would have
repealed and defunded the Affordable Care Act.
2013: Kelly Voted For A Total Repeal Of The ACA. Kelly voted for HR 45, an act "to repeal the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010."
2015: Kelly Voted For A Total Repeal Of The ACA. Kelly voted for HR 596, an act "to repeal the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010." The
bill also ordered House committees to develop a replacement that would "provide people with pre-existing conditions
access to affordable health coverage," but provided no specifics.
Mike Kelly Has Spent The Past Year And A Half Sabotaging Pennsylvanians’ Health Care, While Voting for Tax
Breaks for Corporations at the Very Same Time
Kelly voted for the Republican tax scam, which was estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to drive up
premiums by 10 percent annually each year for the next decade. Kelly voted for the Republican tax bill passed last
December, which repealed the requirement that most people have health insurance. The nonpartisan Congressional
Budget Office estimated that such a move would cause individual market premiums to increase by 10 percent in most
years of the decade. This $1.5 trillion tax bill disproportionately benefits the wealthy and sends massive tax breaks to
insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Kelly refuses to oppose a lawsuit designed to end protections for people with pre-existing conditions. This
summer, the Trump Administration refused to defend against a lawsuit brought by 20 conservative states aimed at
overturning the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. In July, House Democrats
introduced a resolution that would authorize the General Counsel of the House of Representatives to intervene in the
lawsuit and defend protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Kelly refuses to support the resolution.
Kelly also refuses to join the House effort to overturn Trump administration’s junk plan rule that lets insurance
companies discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. The Trump Administration also recently
finalized a rule that allows insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. Experts warn
that this move will only increase the cost of comprehensive care, ultimately making it even harder for people with
pre-existing conditions to get the care they need. House Democrats introduced legislation that would override Trump’s
rule, but Kelly has not signed on.
Pennsylvania insurance companies proposed rate increases averaging 4.9 percent for 2019, and were ultimately
approved to increase premiums slightly by an average of 0.7 percent statewide.
● Jessica Altman, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner: “The ongoing attempts and recent proposed rules being
considered at the federal level to dismantle the ACA still have the potential to jeopardize market stability in future
years and negatively impact health insurance consumers. We will continue to work to protect the progress we
have made, including Pennsylvania's lowest uninsured rate on record, and make affordability and access our top
priorities for consumers.”
● Charles Gaba, Health Care Analyst: Absent GOP sabotage, Pennsylvanians would have seen average decrease
of 5.52 percent
Brookings Analysis Estimates That Individual Market Premiums Would Decrease If Not For GOP Sabotage. The
analysis predicts that average premiums would fall by 4.3 Percent in 2019 in a stable policy environment.
● Pennsylvanians are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the
ACA. 60% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger
people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with
pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 62% of voters.
PPP surveyed 659 PA 16 voters from September 17-18, 2018. The margin of error is +/- 3.8%.
This poll was conducted by automated telephone interviews.
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