Congressman vows to keep working on health care

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Health care insurance reform was a top priority cited by U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson during a town hall meeting in Eunice.
When Congress returns this month Johnson said health care remains on his list because premiums and deductibles are on the rise.
In July, Sen. John John McCain, Republican of Arizona, cast a decisive vote to defeat his party’s plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare.
McCain joined two other Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, in opposing the Republican plan.
Johnson, in his Aug. 23 town hall meeting at the Eunice City Hall, said “I worked really hard on that bill he killed. So, I was in the hallway almost in tears.”
The 4th District freshman congressman spent much of the town hall meeting promoting the Republican health care plan.
Johnson said a basic premise of the Affordable Care Act was to force all Americans to buy health insurance.
“For the first time in American history the federal government forced Americans to buy a product,” he said.
It was premise the Supreme Court upheld, he said.
But Johnson said about 12 million people rejected the mandate and opted to pay a tax penalty.
The House came up with the American Health Care Act to repeal and replace Obamacare, he said.
Johnson said he hears people saying Congress should move on to other issues such as tax reform. “That is totally irresponsible,” he said.
One fix in the House proposal is create a high-risk insurance pool, he said. Insurance for the people in the high-risk pool, which would be about 5 percent of those insured, would be subsidized, he said.
A similar plan was in place in Maine before the Affordable Care Act, he said.
About 4 million people would not be covered under the House plan, he said.
However, Johnson was challenged on that number by George Stelly of Sunset. Stelly said the House plan fails to require employers with 50 or employees to provide health insurance. Stelly said if those employers fail to provide coverage that would add another 3 million to those without insurance under the House plan.
Johnson was also challenged on his assertion the government has never required people to pay for insurance by Charles Renaud of Opelousas.
Renaud compared the Affordable Care Act’s mandate to buy insurance to the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, which funds Social Security and Medicare.
“Can you opt out of Social Security? We pay for disability. We pay for survivor’s benefits while we are paying for Social Security,” he said.
And, Renaud said those who opt out of health insurance may end up in an emergency room where the public picks up the bill.
Another man identifying himself as from Grand Coteau, said he didn’t vote for Johnson or Donald Trump in the last election.
But he added, “I was wrong about you. I do agree with the way you go about your business.”
Johnson is doing the “heavy lifting” among the state’s congressmen with the largest of the districts, he said.
The 4th District includes 15 parishes from the Arkansas line south to just north of Lake Charles and Lafayette.
The man said he is concerned that tax reform will be driven by special interests and lobbyists.
Johnson conceded that tax reform and health care are complex issues.
Johnson was elected to the House seat in December 2016.
According to his website, he serves on the House Judiciary and Natural Resources committees as well as subcommittees.
He served in the state Legislature from February 2015 to January 2017.
Johnson has a law degree from Louisiana State University in 1998.
Johnson lives in Bossier Parish and is married with four children.