CINCINNATI -- Is the United States facing a crisis in regard to health care?
That's what Rep. Brad Wenstrup said Wednesday at a WCPO editorial board meeting.
With a repeal of the Affordable Care Act up in the air, many Americans could lose health care coverage in 2018.
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"It's not just a debate on policy," Wenstrup, a Republican, said. "It's a crisis for America."
Congress needs to come up with a solution to the issue because time is running out, Wenstrup said Wednesday.
"I hope that it is flexible enough that we can adapt to any problems that can arise," Wenstrup said. "This is a big, complicated system."
Healthcare and the "health of our citizenship" should always be a high priority in the United States, he said.
One of the problems Wenstrup said he has with the ACA is the notion the government can make you buy something or penalize if you do not.
"That, to me, is overstepping the bounds because that means the government could then tell you, ‘Well, we think spinach is good to you -- you have to buy spinach,'" Wenstrup said.
Wenstrup would like to make health care available to those who need it and make sure there are safety nets around it.
But, he said, pulling the plug on the ACA without a proper replacement is not the solution.
"You can't pull the rug out from under people -- that's a dangerous thing to do," Wenstrup said. "So, part of this whole challenge isn't necessarily just all the principles or things you want to implement, but how can you implement them in a way that you're transitioning towards it so people aren't left hanging out to dry."
