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U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and State Representative Darrin Camilleri today held a town hall meeting to discuss access to quality health care in Michigan and across the country and answer questions from constituents.

“The American people are sending a clear message to policymakers in Washington and at the state level that they want Democrats, Republicans and Independents to work together in a bipartisan manner to fix what is broken in the healthcare system and lower costs,” said Dingell. “It is my hope that conversations like this, which are taking place across the country, will encourage Congressional leadership to seek bipartisan solutions for the American people. As I have repeatedly said, this isn't a war of words; it's real people's lives. We need to work together under regular order to fix what’s not working in the ACA and give people peace of mind that the provisions that do work – the provisions families depend upon – are protected.”

“Healthcare is one of the top issues I hear from constituents about, and rightfully so—between the various proposals to change our health care system, tens of millions of people would stand to lose their coverage,” said Camilleri. “We have a plan to stop that. Our Michigan Health Care Bill of Rights will ensure that seniors, people with pre-existing conditions and others can still access quality, affordable health care. I am glad so many Downriver residents were able to share their concerns and have their questions addressed at tonight’s event.”

Dingell and Camilleri were joined by Mary Zatina, Senior Vice President for Government Relations and Community Affairs at Beaumont Health and Dawn Kettinger, Director of Government Affairs with the Michigan Nurses Association to discuss the latest developments in the health care debate and ways to protect and improve care in Michigan and across the country, including continuing cost-sharing reduction payments, which make health care affordable for millions of Americans.

Over the course of a few months, Congressional Republicans proposed a total of six different bills to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Each proposal would have taken health care away from millions of Americans and raised costs for millions more. The proposals would have eliminated protections for those with pre-existing conditions, re-instated lifetime caps, ended Healthy Michigan, and dramatically cut Medicaid, which provides critical services for children, those with disabilities and seniors with long-term care needs.

With repeal legislation defeated, Dingell and Camilleri said lawmakers need to focus on improving the ACA to lower costs, improve quality, and expand coverage, while strengthening stability in the Marketplaces.