Martha McSally on Health Care

Supports bipartisan bill to stop surprise billing

ObamaCare is not covering people with preexisting conditions

MCSALLY: I am passionate about protecting people with preexisting conditions and forcing insurance companies to provide them health insurance. I voted to make sure that they had that coverage. The reality is that ObamaCare right now is not covering people with preexisting conditions. We can't go back to what we were in the past. I met an entrepreneur last week who decided to start a small business with a preexisting condition. She's uncovered right now under ObamaCare. So, we are trying to move towards a system that provides more options, more choice for people, that lowers the cost, that allows states to manage it.

Flexibility for states, instead of federal one-size-fits-all

MCSALLY: Yes, what we were trying to do is not have the federal government one-size-fits-all, top-down approach, while protecting people with preexisting conditions, allowing states flexibility.

ObamaCare is collapsing under its own weight

Martha McSally (R): Repeal. Says, "ObamaCare, which was flawed from the beginning, is collapsing under its own weight." Says should replace with a different plan based on bringing down costs & increasing competition.

Kyrsten Sinema (D): Support, shaped by not always having health insurance as a child. "No family should be forced to choose between getting the care they need & paying their bills." Says Repeal would strip coverage from hundreds of thousands of Arizonans, & skyrocket premiums for older patients & those with pre-existing conditions.

ObamaCare makes matters worse; but keep the few good parts

I believe we should keep the few positive changes in the president's health care law that we can all agree on--like protecting those with pre-existing conditions, allowing children to stay on their parents' plans until age 26, and ending discrimination of women. But the foundation of ObamaCare, which is based on mandates, penalties, & taxes in a one-size-fits-all solution, takes choices out of the hands of doctors and patients and puts them in the hands of bureaucrats.

Supports repealing Obamacare, according to Christian Coalition.

CC.org's self-description: "The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.

The Coalition is a political organization, made up of pro-family Americans who care deeply about ensuring that government serves to strengthen and preserve, rather than threaten, our families and our values. To that end, we work continuously to identify, educate and mobilize Christians for effective political action." The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Repealing healthcare law (Obamacare) that forces citizens to buy insurance or pay a tax'

Supports repealing Obamacare, according to Faith2Action.

Faith2Action.org is "the nation's largest network of pro-family groups." They provide election resources for each state, including Voter Guides and Congressional Scorecards excerpted here. The F2A survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Health Care: Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act?'

Supports repealing Obamacare, according to PVS rating.

Project VoteSmart infers summary responses from campaign statements and news reports The PVS survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Health Care: Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act?'

Fully repealing ObamaCare is important, but not sufficient.

Heritage Action Summary: This vote would fully repeal ObamaCare.

Heritage Foundation recommendation to vote YES: (2/3/2015): ObamaCare creates $1.8 trillion in new health care spending and uses cuts to Medicare spending to help pay for some of it. Millions of Americans already have lost, and more likely will lose, their coverage because of ObamaCare. Many Americans have not been able to keep their doctors as insurers try to offset the added costs of ObamaCare by limiting the number of providers in their networks. In spite of the promise, the law increases the cost of health coverage.

Secretary of Labor Robert Reich recommendation to vote NO: (robertreich.org 11/22/2013): Having failed to defeat the Affordable Care Act, Republicans are now hell-bent on destroying the ObamaCare in Americans' minds, using the word "disaster" whenever mentioning the Act, and demand its repeal. Democrats [should] meet the Republican barrage with three larger truths:

1. The wreck of private insurance: Ours has been the only healthcare system in the world designed to avoid sick people. For-profit insurers have spent billions finding and marketing their policies to healthy people--while rejecting people with preexisting conditions, or at high risk.
2. We could not continue with this travesty of a healthcare system: ObamaCare is a modest solution. It still relies on private insurers--merely setting minimum standards and "exchanges" where customers can compare policies.
3. The moral imperative: Even a clunky compromise like the ACA between a national system of health insurance and a for-profit insurance market depends, fundamentally, on a social compact in which those who are healthier and richer are willing to help those who are sicker and poorer. Such a social compact defines a society.

Legislative outcome: Passed House 239-186-8; never came to a vote in the Senate.