Tagged: Legislation

Last month, Liberty HealthShare Executive Director Dale Bellis spoke to a packed ballroom from the main stage at the American Conservative Union's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland. Liberty HealthShare does not endorse political movements, parties, or candidates, however, CPAC offers a great opportunity to share healthcare sharing with an audience that is invested in religious and economic liberty; principles we strongly feel should be promoted. The moment he took the stage, Dale delved into what he believes are the fatal flaws in our nation's current system for healthcare delivery, homing in on the third-party-payer system in particular.

Late last month, Liberty HealthShare Executive Director Dale Bellis met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to a) update them on the growth of healthcare sharing households across America, b) inform them of the positive impact membership in a healthcare sharing ministry has on its members, and c) educate them on the value of making Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) accessible to members of healthcare sharing ministries. We're happy to say that Congress is taking action on this issue.

Like many of you, we here at Liberty HealthShare have been watching and waiting to see what Congress will do regarding federal healthcare policy. In fact, Liberty has participated in discussions on Capitol Hill, making sure healthcare sharing remains recognized, protected, and available as a method of paying medical costs for our members. At this point, it appears Congress is an at an impasse and no changes to the Affordable Care Act are imminent. Therefore, we are business as usual. Earlier this year, we asked you to reach out to Congressional representatives to ask for continued recognition and protection of healthcare sharing. Many of you contacted us asking for more instructions on how to speak with legislators or their staff members. Since we may ask you to contact your representatives again in the future, we pulled together some best practices.

Recent months have held ongoing legislative discussions concerning the possible repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Although Liberty HealthShare does not align with or endorse any political party, we make a point of staying on top of any policy developments that might affect our membership at both the federal and state level. Several months ago, Liberty HealthShare Executive Director Dale Bellis and HealthShare Radio host John Daly interviewed former Virginia governor and presidential candidate Jim Gilmore.

A few weeks ago, we sent an action update to our membership, inviting you to contact your congressmen concerning the language in the proposed American HealthCare Act. If you took the time to call or e-mail your Representative, we want to thank you.

If you are an active or pending Liberty HealthShare member who has opted to receive our occasional e-mails, you should have received a message from us regarding the following: This Thursday, the House of Representatives will vote on the American Health Care Act. We need your help. We are asking you to take a few minutes to call your Congressional Representative and urge him or her to advocate for language that supports healthcare sharing ministries in the bill.

After Liberty HealthShare Executive Director Dale Bellis' delivered a rousing speech at CPAC, he served as a panelist in a session entitled "Recovering from Obama Flu: What is the Prescription for Healthcare?" Dale's professional background made him an excellent addition to the panel, and his fellow panelists also contributed an impressive list of healthcare credentials with regard to both policy and administration. As the title suggests, this panel was focused on the healthcare legacy of President Obama; otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Dale and the other panelists had in common a focus on returning healthcare freedom to individuals as the best remedy for our current, broken system - an approach with which Liberty HealthShare members can wholeheartedly agree.

Members of healthcare sharing ministries are a unique breed. We are determined to protect our individual liberties, and yet we have committed ourselves to sharing with this community. These two behaviors may seem incongruous to some, but we believe they go hand in hand. For many of us, it is our individual freedom that compels us to share with others as they share with us. We want others to remain free as well. Participating in elections is one of the main ways we preserve and protect our unalienable rights.

Last month, Liberty HealthShare sent representatives to Cleveland and Philadelphia to meet with those attending the Republican and Democrat National Conventions. Since healthcare is a particularly hot topic this election cycle, we wanted to make sure candidates and their campaigns are aware of our unique status. We are always paying attention to possible policy changes, both at the national and the state level, and we are always advocating for FREEDOM!

Liberty Healthshare Members in Utah Advocate for Healthcare Sharing Last fall, we informed existing Liberty HealthShare members in Utah that their state legislature was considering a bill that would lock in protections for members of healthcare sharing ministries. Early in 2016, the bill was sponsored in the House by a legislator who is also a physician. For the last couple of weeks, we have been encouraging our Utah members to reach out to state legislators and advocate for healthcare sharing, and what a great response we've had!

by John Hunt, MD In 2011, the state of Virginia tried to block the Federal government’s overreach by passing a law that made it illegal for any individual to be compelled to purchase health insurance. Unfortunately, a loophole was sewn in; one that allowed universities to demand that their students carry health insurance.

The American Conservative Union (ACU) puts on its Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in our nation’s capital each year. Liberty HealthShare representatives attended this year’s CPAC convention February 25-28, 2015 as exhibitors. While CPAC is a highly charged political event, Liberty HealthShare wants to help influence policy makers and public figures about the needs of healthcare sharing members in a non-partisan, non-political way. Liberty HealthShare especially made inroads with legislators requesting that they give equal status under the law to healthcare sharing for employee benefits, health savings accounts, and self-employed deductions.

The Affordable Care Act boasts one specific feature: that it is "affordable" to Americans. Yet according to an article from the National Journal, an overwhelming majority of individuals have reported an increase in costs. ("Obama's Affordable Care Act Looking a Bit Unaffordable" National Journal, 2013)