Today Doctors Caucus co-chairs, Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D., (GA-11) and Rep. Phil Roe, M.D., (TN-1), led House Republicans in a special order to discuss the Obamacare “train wreck.” Reps. Andy Harris, M.D., (MD-1), John Fleming, M.D., (LA-4), Larry Bucshon, M.D., (IN-8), Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M., (OH-2) and Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, (PA-5), also participated in the special order.

Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (TN-01): “Why do our lower income patients deserve different care than someone with a higher income? They don’t. They should get the same care and deserve the same care that anyone else has. The president said he’d go over the health care law with us line-by-line, and maybe the president should have taken us up on our invitation to sit down with the Doctors Caucus. We came here in a totally non-partisan way because health care should not be a partisan issue.  We’ve all taken care of numerous patients and don’t know whether they’re Republicans or Democrats and could care less. They’re just patients who need care. Obamacare is not the answer.”

Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D. (GA-11): “With Obamacare’s bureaucratic government takeover of over one-sixth of the American economy, it’s no wonder we continue to slide down the path of fiscal insolvency. This law and the disastrous amount of rulemaking power it gives to HHS is unaffordable for patients, physicians, and private businesses alike. The longer we allow its implementation to take the form of a ‘train wreck,’ the more patients will go without care due to the uncertainty it creates.”

Rep. Larry Buschon, M.D. (IN-08): “Obamacare is bad for patients, bad for businesses, and overall it’s bad for our nation’s healthcare system. Because of this ‘train wreck’ of a law, many Americans are losing their employer provided health insurance, having their workweek cut back to part-time, and seeing their premiums increase.  There are responsible reforms that could be in place if the President would have worked together with the physicians in Congress to draft meaningful healthcare reform.”

Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01): “The Obamacare train wreck is upon us. Whether its premium increases for young people that we’re encouraging to buy insurance or the mandates putting a chill on job creation, Obamacare is turning out to be one unwelcome surprise after another. The proposed rate increases that were recently announced by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield of Maryland are troubling for those who currently have insurance or want to purchase it for the first time. We need to repeal this law and replace it with patient centered reforms that actually improve the quality and access to healthcare.”

Rep. Brad Wenstrup M.D. (OH-02): “All we're trying to do is get the patient to the physician. The federal government, and specifically the Independent Payment Advisory Board, only gets in the way. The IPAB will be composed of 15 unelected bureaucrats who get to make your medical decisions for you, without ever seeing a patient.”

Rep. Glen ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-05): "Opponents of this law haven’t been far off the mark when it comes to predicting the harm this law would impose on the economy.  With each new tax or regulatory mandate, the President’s so-called Affordable Care Act becomes even more unaffordable for both individuals and businesses."

The GOP Doctors Caucus: Utilizing medical expertise to develop patient-centered health care reforms focused on quality, access, affordability, portability, and choice.