CY Fair-Sun: MCcaul Disputes Obama's Health Care Plan

News Article

CY Fair-Sun: McCaul Disputes Obama's Health Care Plan

While President Barack Obama tried Wednesday tried to sell the American public on health care reform, one local lawmaker wasn't buying it.

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, whose 10th District includes Katy, said Obama's description was lacking in detail and consequences.

"The president did not give Americans the entire picture of how his government-run health care proposal will affect the nation," McCaul said in a statement. "The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says it makes health care more expensive and will add almost $240 billion to our deficit. The rest is paid for by raising taxes on families and small businesses that can't afford it in a difficult economy."

McCaul said in the district there are concerns from businesses which have indicated they will have to lay off workers to avoid costly surtaxes and doctors worried about quality of care for patients.

"This plan creates more problems than it solves," McCaul said.

During a prime time press conference on Wednesday, Obama tried to assure middle-class families the cost of health care reform wouldn't be placed on their shoulders and said the overhaul will improve care and the economy.

While Congress is "currently working through proposals to finance the remaining costs, I continue to insist that health reform not be paid for on the backs of middle-class families," Obama said. "In addition to making sure that this plan doesn't add to the deficit in the short term, the bill I sign must also slow the growth of health care costs in the long run."

While health care reform plans in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives currently look different, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., indicated a proposed surtax would apply to families whose combined income was $1 million.

Previously, House Democrats had proposed a surtax for individuals with an annual adjusted gross income above $280,000 or $350,000 for families, with tax rates ranging from 1 percent to 5.4 percent for those making $1 million.

Obama said the tax would only account for one third of the cost of reform and the remaining two-thirds would come from savings in federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

"I realize that with all the charges and criticisms being thrown around in Washington, many Americans may be wondering, what's in this for me? How does my family stand to benefit from health insurance reform," he said.

He promised changes to insurance to help all Americans obtain coverage, even if they have a pre-existing condition and said the overhaul would provide preventative care, like regular check-ups.

Health care reform "will limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay for your medical costs out of your own pocket and it will cover preventive care like check-ups and mammograms that save lives and money," Obama said. "Now, if you don't have health insurance or you're a small business looking to cover your employees, you'll be able to choose a quality, affordable health plan through a health insurance exchange, a marketplace that promotes choice and competition."

An option that will be available in the exchange would be a government run provider Obama said, to keep insurance companies honest and ensure they are providing good care.

"Having a public plan out there that also shows that maybe if you take some of the profit motive out, maybe if you are reducing some of the administrative costs, that you can get an even better deal, that's going to incentivize the private sector to do even better and that's a good thing," he said.

But Republicans balked at the president's explanation of paying for the overhaul of health care and the plan itself.

"The problems the President highlighted are real and, here again, Republicans agree with him," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader.

"Unfortunately, the solutions to these problems are not in the Democrat plans now working their way through Congress."

Source