Hello,

It’s been a busy few weeks in Washington and Kansas, especially on the health care front. Here’s a quick round-up in this special edition of the Roberts Report on health care.

Health Care Reform Anniversary

Last Friday marked the two year anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act being signed into law. It’s the law we’ve all come to know as Obamacare.

In two years, we’ve found out the law cuts Medicare, raises billions in new taxes and increases premiums for families by $2,100 a year. We’ve found out many employers are dropping – with even more planning to drop -- the coverage they provide, so if you like what you have now you may not be able to keep it.

We’ve found out the law is so unpopular that the government has granted more than 1,700 waivers to exempt labor unions and others from participation. And, we’ve found out the law’s mandates may be unconstitutional. You can click here to listen to me discuss the law on the Senate floor with some of my colleagues.

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Health Care Law

Kansas and 25 other states are challenging the law’s mandates before the Supreme Court. In fact, this week, right across the street from the U.S. Capitol Building, the Supreme Court heard arguments on Obamacare. The arguments are over the constitutionality of the individual insurance mandate, among other things.

The case was heard for three days. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt was in town to represent Kansas. He and I, along with Senator Jerry Moran, held a press conference with Kansas press to discuss the mandates. I told press that regardless of how the court rules, it is good to see so many Americans discussing our country’s Constitution.

Senator Moran and I signed on to an Amicus Brief supporting the view that the individual mandate is central to the entire bill. If the Court finds that the individual mandate is unconstitutional, then the entire bill should be deemed unconstitutional. The full brief can be found here.

That’s why I am working to repeal health care reform. It’s one anniversary I don’t want to observe again.

The Supreme Court is expected to make a decision on the case by the end of June.

A Few Top Regs in Obamacare

Throughout this past week, I highlighted on Facebook some of the top regulations or provisions of Obamacare that just plain don’t work for Kansans. As Nancy Pelosi famously said, “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it.” So, here are a few things that are in it:

• The Baystate Boondoggle: A Medicare reimbursement formula allows Massachusetts to set statewide hospital reimbursement rates for providers equal to the cushy wages paid at a 15-bed hospital on the tony island of Nantucket. This robs 19 other states of money for their reimbursements because it all comes from the same pot. In short, there aren’t enough clams at this bake to go around, certainly not to Kansas, after Massachusetts is finished.

• Health and Human Service’s rule: Requires qualified health plans to offer contraception benefits. As you know, religious institutions that hold moral objections to specific services expressed widespread concern with the rule. In response, I cosponsored S. 1467, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, introduced by Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). It allows a health plan to decline coverage of specific items and services that are contrary to the religious beliefs of the sponsor, issuer, or other entity offering the plan without penalty and remain in compliance with the requirements under the new Health Care Law.

• No More child-only plans: Included in this law are a group of regulations that have caused insurance plans in 39 states to stop offering child-only plans, and parents in at least 17 states are no longer able to purchase ANY child-only plans. Keep in mind, there are no private insurance alternatives for these families for two more years. These regs limit access to care.

• HSA Limits: Also in the law is a prohibition on what can be reimbursed from a Health Savings Account (HSA). I joined Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.) in introducing a bipartisan bill to repeal this provision to restore the choice and flexibility people had in managing their health care expenses by buying over-the-counter medications. Rather than promoting cost-effectiveness and accessibility, this provision directs people to potentially more costly, less convenient, and more time-consuming alternatives. Read more about our bill here.

• And finally, Obamacare Waivers: More than 1,700 labor unions and others have been granting waivers so they don’t have to participate in the new law. At issue are the mandates involving annual coverage forcing many employers not to offer coverage at all. Where is your waiver?

If you’d like to join in the debate, you can “like” my Facebook page by clicking here.

Friends from Kansas

I’ve had quite a few Kansans stop by my D.C. office over the past week. It is always nice to see them. And everyone is always welcome. You can click here to see a picture album of their visits.

Check Senator Roberts’ Website, YouTube and Facebook Sites for Updates

You can visit my YouTube site for more information on what’s happening in Washington, D.C. and Kansas by visiting www.youtube.com/SenPatRoberts. It's a great place to find speeches and debates on the Senate floor, press conferences, interviews and Senate hearings. You can also stay updated on all these happenings on my Facebook and Twitter sites.

If you wish to contact me about an issue or want more information, please visit my website, roberts.senate.gov.