{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2025/12/what-they-are-saying-sen-rick-scott-s-more-affordable-care-act-praised-for-putting-patients-first-driving-down-costs", "WHAT THEY ARE SAYING\u2026 Sen. Rick Scott\u2019s More Affordable Care Act Praised for Putting Patients First & Driving Down Costs", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "FL", "Rick Scott", "S001217", "www.rickscott.senate.gov", "rickscott", "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/press-releases/", "page_html", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Senator Rick Scott highlighted the increasingly broad support for his and Chairman August Pfluger\u2019s More Affordable Care Act, to fix Obamacare and drive down health care costs for American families. The More Affordable Care Act makes common sense fixes to help families get care that fits their needs, ensures any support goes directly to Americans, and not insurance companies, through HSA-style Trump Health Freedom Accounts that put health care decisions back in the hands of patients and allows them to apply funds directly to premiums, encourages competition, and instills transparency to empower families to make their own decisions.\n\nRead more on Senator Scott\u2019s More Affordable Care Act HERE or from industry leaders below:\n\nEconomic Policy Innovation Center\u2019s Executive Vice President Brittany Madni said, \u201cSenator Rick Scott and Chairman August Pfluger\u2019s More Affordable Care Act is exactly the sort of pro-freedom healthcare leadership that is needed to drive down costs for both patients and taxpayers. This fiscally responsible legislation stops Obamacare from doing more damage and handing over billions from the Treasury directly to Big Insurance through the subsidy scheme. It opens up competition in the market, gives patients options, and institutes commonsense reforms to safeguard taxpayer dollars. Ultimately, through the creation of the Trump Health Freedom Accounts and transparency measures, the More Affordable Care Act improves access to quality healthcare.\u201d\n\nThe Foundation for Government Accountability\u2019s President and Chief Executive Officer Tarren Bragdon said, \u201cObamacare has failed American families\u2026for years, conservatives have talked about expanding choice, increasing transparency, and supporting the needs of individuals instead of insurers. This bill accomplishes those goals\u2026Senator Scott\u2019s bill offers a free-market alternative that will finally put patients first and start to drive down the cost of coverage for Americans struggling with the rising cost of health care.\u201d\n\nDr. Monique Yohanan, senior fellow for health policy at Independent Women wrote in an op-ed for The Hill, \u201cThe proposal expands portability so that insurance becomes something people own rather than something assigned to them\u2026Portability restores the American expectation that opportunity requires the freedom to move. It treats insurance the way we treat every other essential product: something individuals choose, not something contingent on employment or geography\u2026Transparency exposes prices and portability gives consumers the ability to act\u2026Portability expands choices and transparency ensures those choices are informed\u2026Information without choice is powerless. Choice without information is meaningless.\u201d\n\nPresident Joel White of The Council for Affordable Health Coverage (CAHC) endorsed the legislation saying, \u201cACA premiums have more than doubled \u2013 rising 129 percent \u2013 since the law took effect, far outpacing employer-sponsored coverage, and the general rate of inflation\u2026small businesses now face some of the highest premiums and the fewest insurance options in the entire system\u2026The combination of remarkably high deductibles and highly restrictive networks means many ACA enrollees lack access to care they need to get or stay healthy. The problem is not simply that families pay too much \u2013 it is that they are paying more for less. CAHC shares your commitment to drive down costs, expand coverage options and transparency, and empower customers and small businesses with control over their health care dollars\u2026We welcome the opportunity to work with you to help ensure this legislation advances through Congress.\u201d\n\nGrover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform celebrated the legislation saying, \u201cHealthcare costs are rising because Obamacare continues to fail. Under Obama and Biden\u2019s system, Americans have seen their premiums skyrocket, a loathsome decline in their health care options, and shameless handouts to big insurance providers. Democrats now want to bail out Obamacare by extending the enhanced premium tax subsidies they swore were temporary policy to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, Senator Rick Scott and Representative August Pfluger introduced the More Affordable Care Act, a bill that would establish Trump Health Freedom Accounts, offer Americans more plan options, allow Americans to shop across state lines for coverage, increase transparency in the ACA Marketplace, and enhance the Small Business Tax Credit to encourage employer-sponsored coverage. Sen. Scott and Rep. Pfluger's bill contains conservative reforms that actually reduce the costs of healthcare. No Republican should support extending the enhanced premium tax subsidies. I urge Congress to pass the More Affordable Care Act.\u201d\n\nAmericans for Prosperity\u2019s Senior Health Policy Fellow Dean Clancy stated, \u201cInstead of funding big insurance, this bill funds patients. Instead of empowering bureaucrats, it empowers you and the doctors you trust. Our activists will be working hard to advance this legislation because it advances a personal option: reliable, hassle/free health care you can afford.\u201d\n\nHealth Care expert and Chief Executive Officer of Direct Care Alliance David Balat recently commented, \u201cThis puts the power back into the back into the hands of patients. Where they are now shopping for insurance plans. It will drive up competition. What happens when competition increases? Prices go down.\u201d\n\nRead more on Senator Scott\u2019s More Affordable Care Act HERE or in his Fox News op-ed HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-03-30T11:08:25Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2025/12/what-they-are-saying-sen-rick-scott-s-more-affordable-care-act-praised-for-putting-patients-first-driving-down-costs"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7774559780955315, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}