I recently wrote to Rep. Cramer to voice my concern over the removal of health care from American citizens, specifically for my special needs son. I wasn't expecting a hand written reply, nor something personally from Cramer. I did expect an answer to my question. All I received was a "canned" response filled with false information.
I suppose with all of fewer then 700k people to represent (including children) he can't be bothered to have his staff actually think of a response.
I lived in NC for 26 years and I received better communication from my rep there then from Cramer. But with ND being a red state, he probably isn't too worried about not being reelected. He's got the big oil people to keep happy. It's a shame.
The letter I received is below.
Dear Gable,
Thank you for contacting me to express your views regarding the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.
I understand the implications of reforming our health care system—the prosperity of American lives, families, and businesses rely on an effective healthcare system. Congress is addressing reform because Obamacare is in a death spiral and will collapse under its own weight if nothing is changed. Obamacare has failed to meet its promised outcomes as the law has not achieved the goals of lower health costs and greater access for Americans. President Obama falsely promised a decrease in premiums and that Americans would be able to keep the plans that worked for them. In reality, new taxes and overbearing regulations have hurt individuals and small businesses, forcing families to pay higher premiums and businesses to cut jobs and hours in order to meet the requirements of the law. Since the implementation of Obamacare, average premiums in job-based coverage have increased by $3,775 and the average premiums for families enrolled in employer-sponsored coverage have soared to more than $17,000 annually. In 2015 alone, roughly eight million Americans chose to pay the individual mandate penalty instead of purchasing expensive health insurance that didn’t serve them well. Moreover, a majority of co-ops created under Obamacare have financially failed, and many major insurers have left the healthcare exchanges due to fiscal unsustainability. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, if Obamacare were to stay in place, the number of uninsured Americans would increase to over 26 million over the next 10 years as more employers choose to stop offering insurance plans. Before Obamacare completely implodes, Congress will take the proactive move toward responsible patient-centered, market-driven healthcare initiatives that work for all Americans.
As a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I have a direct role in helping shape health legislation this Congress. House Republicans have laid out a road map to replace Obamacare with policy reforms which seek to lower costs, expand care, and allow for greater autonomy over health care and insurance choices. Our plan will allow citizens to purchase insurance plans across state lines to increase marketplace competition, and give them the power to shop broadly for more affordable policies. It will also allow small businesses, trade associations, and other groups to pool together and offer insurance at lower prices through improved bargaining power. Notably, it will continue the ban on discriminating against individuals with pre-existing conditions, and protect patients by prohibiting insurers from imposing lifetime limits on benefits or unfairly cancelling coverage. Further, Americans enrolled in coverage will have the right to renew coverage and young adults under the age of 26 could remain on their parents’ insurance plan.
As we move forward, the repeal and replace of Obamacare will happen over a transitionary period while the new plan’s policies replace the policies of Obamacare. For more information on the replacement plan, I encourage you to visit the Better Way website and check out the Full Task Force Report: http://abetterway.speaker.gov/?page=health-care . Thank you again for contacting me.
Kevin CramerMember of Congress
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