Rep. Greg Walden Discusses Health Care Reform at Big ‘I’ Event

Last Thursday, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Oregon) , chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, delivered a keynote address to the annual Big “I” Large Agent/Broker & CEO Dinner during the association’s Legislative Conference.

In his discussion of the health care debate and his efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Rep. Walden said he believes the ACA is causing a crisis—and that the states should be empowered to make decisions that best serve their residents.

“If you look around the country right now, last year there were 225 counties in America where if you bought your insurance on the ACA exchanges, you had one choice,” said Rep. Walden. “This year, it’s 1,022 counties where people who have to get their insurance on the federal health insurance exchange are now down to one choice.”

Regarding the consequences of the ACA in the state exchanges, Rep. Walden said, “this market is in collapse.”

“Congress needs to address this crisis and lack of flexibility,” Rep. Walden said. “Our job is to not let that happen. Our job is to come in and do the kind of repair work and reform work so that we can have a viable market.”

Rep. Walden was sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1999 and represents Oregon’s 2^nd Congressional District. He serves as chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over many issues that directly impact the independent agency system. Rep. Walden was elected by his Republican colleagues twice to serve as chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

“Our job nationally is not to micromanage every state, but to let them operate,” Rep. Walden said. “We have to put consumers first and build business around them.”

Rep. Walden previously served in the Oregon Senate and House. Prior to his career in public service, he owned and operated a radio station. He also served on the Hood River Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees and the Oregon Health Sciences University Foundation Board.

The Large Agent/Broker and CEO dinner is sponsored by the Big “I” Agent and Broker Roundtable, a group which advises the Big “I” Board of Directors on many topics important to larger agencies and brokers. Large agents and brokers from around the country—as well as regional and national carrier CEOs, including many from Rep. Walden’s home state of Oregon—attended the event.

Margarita Tapia is Big “I” director of public affairs.