Reps. Meehan, Costello deserve thanks

U.S. Reps. Pat Meehan, R-7, and Ryan Costello, R-6, put people over party by voting against the AHCA.

The choice by our region’s congressmen to vote last week against the American Health Care Act was both brave and wise.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-7, and U.S. Rep Ryan Costello, R-6, were among the 19 Republicans in the House who went against their party’s leadership and did what they believed was best for their constituents and the nation. In today’s political environment, that takes courage.

Both voted against the bill touted as a replacement for the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, rejecting it on the basis that provisions would make health care more costly and difficult for consumers. That reflects a wisdom too often lacking in Washington.

The bill, which passed the House 217-213 last Thursday, dimantled parts of the ACA, ending penalties for people who don’t buy insurance and erased taxes on health industry businesses and higher-earning people.

The measure also cut payments to states for Medicaid, including ending extra federal payments to 31 states that expanded Medicaid to cover more people.

One of the many points of contention in the bill was its provision to allow higher premiums based on age and preexisting conditions.

Those two issues were among the most important for constituents in the counties represented by Meehan and Costello.

“I hear from constituents every day who face higher costs for less coverage,” Meehan said. “There’s no question Obamacare is unsustainable, but this legislation doesn’t keep the promises I made to my constituents when I said I would (repeal) it.”

Meehan, whose district includes parts of Berks, Chester, Montgomery and Delaware counties, consistently said he would support legislation that protects coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, but that wasn’t his only concern.

“It threatens people with pre-existing conditions with skyrocketing costs,” Meehan said. “It threatens essential health care coverage like mental health and opioid addiction treatments. Monthly premiums for many, particularly older Americans nearing retirement, will rise. This bill doesn’t repeal or fix Obamacare – it simply shifts its failures from one group of Americans to another.”

For Costello, whose district includes parts of Chester and Montgomery counties, “essential health benefits and pre-existing conditions protections” were the benchmarks, he said.

“I listened to everybody,” Costello said during a phone interview immediately following the vote. “Ultimately, I had people ask me to vote for it and against it.”

Costello believes health care reform is needed but not the way the bill plays out.

As the bill moves toward the Senate, talks shifted to rewriting and improving the attempt among Republicans to keep their vow to repeal the ACA.

Senate frustration with the House bill cut across party lines in Pennsylvania.

Democrate U.S. Sen. Bob Casey called the House bill “an economic punch to the gut of middle class families in Pennsylvania.”

“What passed today isn’t a health care bill, but a scheme to cut taxes for millionaires and big corporations, a giveaway for special interests and forces middle class families in Pennsylvania to pay more for their health care ...

“Now that the legislation is coming to the Senate, I am redoubling my effort to fight like hell on behalf of families, seniors and individuals with disabilities who will be immeasurably harmed by it,” Casey said.

His Republican counterpart, U.S. Sen. Patrick Toomey also said he hopes the Senate writes its own version, but he did call the House bill a “first step” to repeal and replace Obamacare.

“... I look forward to being a part of this process as the Senate writes its own version to repeal and replace Obamacare so that Pennsylvanians can have access to quality health care at a price they can afford,” Toomey said.

The House bill was hailed as a success by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump, which underscores the courage it took Republicans Meehan and Costello to stand their ground.

The constituents of the 6th and 7th districts face the same uncertainty as everyone else over the future of health care, but at least they know their representatives are working on their behalf.

For that, we thank them.