Repeal and Replace the Health Care Reform Law

Statement

When the government takeover of health care was rolled out last year, I voiced my strong opposition. Since its passage, I have signed on to a bill that would repeal the monstrous legislation. While reform of health care is needed, this $2.7 trillion takeover does much more harm than good. It allows bureaucrats to write the rules and determine your insurance coverage and medical treatments - not you and your doctor. As more study is given to the health care law's 2,700 pages, it has become clear the costs were dramatically understated and the benefits vastly exaggerated.

This new law raises taxes; raises insurance premiums; takes $500 billion away from Medicare; encourages private employers to discontinue employee health care coverage, driving their employees to government health plans and the list goes on and on.

Under this law new taxes and fees are collected immediately, but spending on new health care programs does not begin for another four years. So in reality, 10 years of revenues are used to pay for six years of spending.

This means that after 10 years the program will be financially unsustainable, health care costs will skyrocket higher and add even more to America's debt. The Congressional Budget Office now projects this law will require $115 billion more in government spending over the next 10 years than originally projected. Surprise!

Another unrealistic source to finance health care reform is the $529 billion in Medicare savings the administration says will be found. I have said all along that any Medicare savings found should be returned to the Medicare program. The Medicare program is not sustainable and needs this help. Health care reform should not jeopardize the payment of future Medicare benefits.

Medicare Advantage plans will also see cuts to their benefits, such as vision, dental and prescription care. These cuts may begin much sooner than people expect.

You may remember someone saying in one of his speeches, "If you like your health care plan you can keep it." Well, it is now estimated more than half of employer-provided health care plans will be forced to change. In many cases, this will mean higher costs and reduced coverage, and it is clear it will not be the same health care plan you have now.

The bottom line is this new law harms our health care system and our pocketbooks. We need to start over and allow groups and small businesses to join together to provide health care plans to their employees, expand health savings accounts, allow the purchase of insurance across state lines, limit frivolous lawsuits, and provide incentives to states to lower costs.

Working together we can reform our health care system, reconnect the doctor and patient and get the government out of this highly personal issue.

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