Speaker Tillis appoints Rep. Iler to the Joint Legislative Study Committee on the Affordable Care Act

RALEIGH, NC – House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) recently announced the House co-chairs of the Joint Legislative Study Committee on the Affordable Care Act.   Rep. Jim Fulghum (R-Wake), a doctor, and Rep. Jeff Collins (R-Nash), an insurance agent, will lead the committee to investigate the impacts of the Affordable Care Act on North Carolina.

“Citizens all across North Carolina have been affected by Obamacare,” said Speaker Tillis.  “Since its rollout in early October, premiums have increased dramatically and policies have been cancelled.  It’s hitting North Carolinians hard and I’m confident that this committee will cast a broad net to learn the full impacts on our state and our citizens.”

“We are honored to have the opportunity to determine how this federal mandate is affecting our state by listening to the citizens, businesses and healthcare industry dealing with it daily,” said chairs Fulghum and Collins.  “We look forward to starting this important conversation and hope to find ways to help North Carolina minimize Obamacare’s negative impacts.”

Committee members include Reps. Marilyn Avila (Wake), Nathan Baskerville (Vance), Brian Brown (Pitt), Beverly Earle (Mecklenburg), Frank Iler (Brunswick), Verla Insko (Orange), Charles Jeter (Mecklenburg), Susan Martin (Wilson), Tim Moffitt (Buncombe), Tom Murry (Wake), Joe Sam Queen (Haywood), Nathan Ramsey (Buncombe), Jacqueline Schaffer (Mecklenburg), Paul Tine (Dare), Mike Stone (Lee) and Ken Waddell (Columbus).

“I am pleased to be assigned by the Speaker to this committee,” said Rep. Iler.  “We have taken steps in the past three years to attempt to protect the citizens of North Carolina from the negative impacts of this federal takeover of our healthcare insurance industry.  It will be interesting to learn if there are other actions that we can take, now that the full effects are becoming apparent to everyone.”

The first meeting date and the details of the agenda will be set by the co-chairs in the coming weeks.