This first full week of 2014 was a busy one in the House!
While the new year brings up many new legislative topics, Obamacare is one issue that continues to remain at the forefront of my agenda, as it remains a persistent problem. The Washington Post published yet another report this week regarding the software problems that continue to plague the healthcare.gov website. This time around, the problems have resulted in more than 100,000 Americans who are eligible to enroll in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but have yet to be processed because of the site’s technical problems.
We heard numerous experts testify last year that the Healthcare.gov website was launched without adequate testing and without the necessary safeguards in place to ensure that consumer information would be secure. To address this very serious concern, I voted with the House this week to protect Americans from the Obamacare security breaches. H.R. 3811, the Health Exchange Security and Transparency Act, requires HHS to inform anyone if their personal information has been breached on the exchange website. This common-sense bill passed with a veto-proof majority of 291 to 122. In this newsletter below, you will find my statement on the passage of H.R. 3811 and additional information about this bill.
This week, I continued to fight against cuts made in cancer treatment services by writing a letter to CMS Administrator, Marilyn Tavenner. My letter was in reference to Medicare’s latest cut in reimbursements for those receiving cancer treatment from community oncology providers. Click here for information about H.R. 1416, the Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2013, which I sponsored to protect cancer patients from these unfair sequester cuts.
Also this week, in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing, I had the opportunity to ask questions regarding the 2014 CMS changes that will be taking place. I used this subcommittee hearing to better understand the reimbursement and “capping” process for those seeking Medicare services.
Additionally, while news reports show that the unemployment rate dropped last month, the explanation behind the lower number is of particular concern. The reason unemployment is down is because the labor participation rate — the number of people participating in the labor force — is the lowest it has been since April 1978. What does this mean? Too many Americans have given up looking for work.
The numbers are staggering — 91.27 million Americans are not in the labor force today and 5.6 million between ages 18 and 34 can’t find a job, even though they want and need one. This is why jobs continue to be my top priority. Below you will find a link to information about the work the House has done to promote job creation. Unfortunately many of the bills we have passed remain stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
This year promises to be one that is both busy and productive, and I hope you will continue to reach out to me if I can ever be of assistance to you. You’ll find contact information for my Washington, Dunn and Asheboro offices at the end of this newsletter.
Thank you for staying informed and engaged. It is such an honor to be your voice in Washington.
Protecting Americans from Obamacare Security Breaches
I released the following statement Friday after voting in favor of the Health Exchange Security and Transparency Act, H.R. 3811:
“We’ve started a new year with the same old problems. Over three months since the Obamacare exchanges took effect, the website continues to be plagued with errors and threatens to expose the personal information and health records of millions of Americans. That’s why today I voted with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for the Health Exchange Security and Transparency Act.”
“This bill will require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to notify individuals within two days if there has been a breach to the exchange website and if their personal information has been exposed. The Obama administration must be held accountable for the failures in this website and their inability to perform basic security procedures that could have an enormous impact on people’s lives and their privacy.”
Well before the October 1, 2013 launch date, red flags were raised regarding the vulnerability of HealthCare.gov, including security vulnerabilities. In fact, on August 2, 2013, the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services reported “several critical tasks remain to be completed in a short period of time, such as the final independent testing of the Hub’s security controls, remediating security vulnerabilities identified during testing, and obtaining the security authorization decision for the Hub before opening the exchanges.”
Since October 1st – and the website’s failed launch – even greater concern has been expressed regarding the website’s vulnerabilities, including the security of personal and medical information. In fact, in an interview late last year, Experian Vice President, Michael Bruemmer, is quoted as saying he expects a significant increase in the number of health care breaches in 2014. Specifically, Bruemmer is quoted as saying “[the website infrastructure] was put together too quickly and haphazardly.” Thus, “we have volume issues, security issues, multiple data handling points – all generally not good things for protecting protected health information and personal identity information.”
Health Subcommittee Hearing
In the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing, “The Extenders Policies: What Are They and How Should They Continue Under a Permanent SGR Repeal Landscape?” I asked questions regarding the 2014 CMS changes that will be taking place. Click here or on the image above to see a video excerpt from the hearing.
Jobs
We’ve passed dozens of jobs bills in the House to spur economic growth and get Americans back to work. The Senate should #VoteNow for JOBS. You can learn more about these bills, track their progress and even support them as a citizen cosponsor at http://www.speaker.gov/jobs.
Hero of Main Street Award
I was honored to receive the Hero of Main Street Award, which was presented to me in my office this week by Mike Cys of the National Retail Federation (NRF). NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, and the retail industry serves as the nation’s largest private sector employer.