Lake County Gazette

Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) posted a three-minute video on social media and YouTube yesterday in response to three questions from his "mailbag" regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

He first read a comment from a McHenry constituent asking that he oppose changes to the ACA.

"The sad truth is that as now structured the subsidized program for middle class and lower-income (residents) is failing fast," Hultgren said.

He blamed the ACA for Humana and Aetna leaving Illinois. He also pointed out that some areas of his 14th District will be left with only one health care provider on the exchange – Blue Cross Blue Shield. He claimed that the ACA exchange users do not have access to the best hospitals in the area.

A resident of Sugar Grove asked how Hultgren planned to ensure that those with pre-existing conditions would still be able to get health insurance. He responded by pointing out that he co-sponsored HR 628, the Guaranteed Health Coverage for Pre-existing Conditions Act of 2017.

Hultgren read a third question regarding small businesses, the ability to pool resources to buy health insurance and access to tax incentives for their employees.

"We need to empower the private sector to use knowledge and technology to make the individual health insurance markets more competitive, less risky and more affordable," Hultgren said. "I'm very supportive of allowing employers to work together to offer their employees coverage on a private exchange or offer workers health reimbursement accounts to help them buy plans in the individual market."

Hultgren closed the video saying, "It's time to keep what's working and reform the rest."

While there were only a few comments on the YouTube site, there were numerous tweets and comments on his Facebook page regarding the video. Many expressed the desire for town hall meetings and face-to-face discussions.