House
Democrats today unveiled their long-awaited health care “reform”
legislation, and it’s just what the American people expected: an
852-page bureaucratic nightmare that rations care, raises taxes, and
empowers government bureaucrats – not patients and doctors – to make
critical medical decisions. As House Republican Leader John Boehner
(R-OH) warned middle-class families and small businesses earlier today, “This
plan will make health care more expensive, reduce the quality of care
for millions of families and small businesses, cost American jobs, and
force untold millions of Americans off their current plans and into a
government-run nightmare operated by federal bureaucrats.”
As Democrats prepare to defend their government takeover of health care
in a series of committee hearings next week, here are the latest Top 10
facts about the House Democrats’ health care proposal:
1. Democrats’ Government Takeover Will Cost Middle-Class Families and Small Businesses Billions.
Though House Democrats don’t know (or won’t say) how much their
government takeover will cost, here’s what we do know: the plan will
make health care more expensive and hit the middle class particularly
hard with higher taxes, rationed care, and new health care costs. As
millions of families and small businesses are struggling to make ends
meet while making responsible choices, this plan forces those that make
responsible decisions to foot the bill for those who don’t.
2. Democrats’ Government Takeover Will Cost Tens of Millions Their Current Health Care Coverage.
The House Democrats’ plan could force more than 100 million Americans
out of their current health care plan and onto the government rolls,
according to a Lewin Group study published earlier this year. A Congressional Budget Office report
on a similar plan authored by Senate Democrats that would force at
least 23 million Americans off of their current plans. According to
the Associated Press,
even the White House admits that the President’s promises about
allowing the American people to keep their health care shouldn’t be
taken literally.
3. Democrats’ Government Takeover Will Cost Millions of Americans Their Jobs.
The House Democrats’ plan would impose employer mandates and cost jobs
by requiring some employers – especially some small businesses – to pay
a new eight percent tax to Washington. The plan would also slap
employers that are unable to offer coverage the government deems
adequate with another new financial burden. These two new taxes will
make it more difficult than ever for small business owners to reinvest
in their businesses and create and retain good paying jobs. Using the economic model of the President’s own economic advisors, an employer mandate would result in 4.7 million Americans losing their jobs.
4. Democrats’ Government Takeover Will Put Bureaucrats in Charge of Key Medical Decisions.
Instead of keeping patients and doctors in charge of key medical
decisions, the House Democrats’ plan will give Washington the power
instead. And if you’re outraged with what Washington’s done with the
bailouts, just wait until you see what Uncle Sam does with your health
care.
5. Democrats’ Government Takeover Will Cost Future Generations Money They Don’t Have.
The House Democrats’ bill simply shifts the burden of debt from one
generation to the next. Our nation can’t sustain the Medicaid and
Medicare programs now. At a time when families and small businesses
already are being crushed under the weight of historic debt, a new
government-run program will only further add to the bill passed along
to our children and grandchildren.
6. Democrats’ Government Takeover Will Cost Seniors Key Medicare Benefits and Options.
In order to expand health care benefits to some seniors, House
Democrats will slash coverage millions of other seniors depend on.
These benefit cuts will ultimately eliminate choices for seniors.
7. Democrats’ Government Takeover Will Place a New Mandate on Individuals.
The House Democrats’ plan mandates that every American buy health
insurance or pay a hefty penalty to Washington equal to almost two
percent of their income. This would force more Americans into
government-run system that will make health care more expensive, ration
care, and put bureaucrats in charge of medical decisions.
8. Democrats’ Government Takeover Will Raise Taxes on Families, Small Businesses.
Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) readily
admitted that the Democrats’ health care “reform” plan would be
financed with tax hikes. The Associated Press
reported that, “Democrats are considering everything from taxing soda,
to raising income taxes on upper income people earning more than
$200,000, to a federal sales tax.” Exactly how many new taxes will
there be to bankroll this government takeover? When do Democrats plan
to reveal them?
9. Democrats’ Government Takeover Is a Missed Opportunity To Reduce Health Care Costs.
The House Democrats’ plan does not include even a shred of medical
liability reform, missing an opportunity to drive down health care
costs by reducing costly, unnecessary defensive medicine practiced by
doctors trying to protect themselves from trial lawyers.
10. Democrats’ Government Takeover Harms Small Businesses, Costs Jobs.
The House Democrats’ plan uses the amount of an employer’s annual
payroll to define “small business,” which is troubling news for
millions of Americans who depend on these engines of economic growth.
Based on the Democrats’ definition of small businesses, only those
with, on average, less than 10 employees will be spared from new taxes
through employer mandates. This leaves a huge number of small
businesses to deal with the onerous and expensive mandates of the House
Democrats’ government defined health benefit plan (“small businesses”
are traditionally defined as employing less than 500 people). These
small businesses employ 47.3 million employees and provide those
employees $1.7 trillion in wages annually. The House Democrats’ new
employer mandate and taxes on these businesses will make it more
difficult to retain these jobs and wages.
Rationing
care, raising taxes, and putting bureaucrats in charge of key health
care decisions is not “reform.” There is a better way. Led by Rep.
Roy Blunt (R-MO) and his Health Care Reform Solutions Group,
House Republicans have outlined a plan to expand access to affordable,
quality care regardless of pre-existing conditions; protect Americans
from being forced into a government-run plan, making certain that
medical decisions are made by patients and their doctors, not
Washington bureaucrats; and let Americans who like their health care
coverage keep it, while giving all Americans the freedom to choose the
plan that best meets their needs. Will Democrats barrel ahead with
their costly government takeover? Or will they heed the President’s
words to bring all stakeholders to the table to ensure real health care
reform?
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