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viduals.  Low enrollment figures mean these young people aren't signing up, which could cause premiums to increase even more.
• We need to protect as many people as we can with reforms to the Affordable Care Act, but temporary fixes, such as allowing individuals to stay on their current plans for one more year, won't fix the healthcare law's underlying problems.  The only way to do that is to replace the Affordable Care Act with a consumer-driven approach.
• I co-sponsored one such alternative, the American Health Care Reform Act.  This legislation would increase competition by allowing Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines.  It would reform medical malpractice laws and change the tax code so families and individuals could deduct healthcare costs on their tax filing, just like businesses already do.  It would expand access to Health Savings Accounts and still provide a safeguard for individuals with pre-existing conditions.  These reforms will give consumers more choices and target the core drivers of healthcare costs.
• The healthcare law isn't working.  South Dakotans have called my office and reported that their premiums are rising by $3,000, $7,000, even $12,000 a year because of the new government regulations created by Obamacare.  For taxpayers, the costs are also on the rise.  President Obama originally estimated the Affordable Care Act would cost around $900 billion, but more recent projections by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office show it will be closer to $1.8 trillion, double the original estimate.
• It's just not affordable.  This week, I launched a new effort to better hear the stories of those who have been impacted.  South Dakotans can visit www.Noem.House.Gov/MyStory to tell me about the real impact the Affordable Care Act is having on their family.
• Too often we throw around numbers and projections, but here in South Dakota we are now finding out the real personal costs of the health care law.  I look forward to hearing your story.