Cost, Quality, and Access to Care Get Worse
Click here to watch the speech.
The President repeatedly promised that his health care law would improve health care for all Americans. We now know the President’s health care law actually makes it worse.
Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) spoke on the Senate floor about how the health care law makes the cost of health care worse, quality of health care worse, and Americans’ ability to get care worse.
Excerpts include:
Cost of Care Increases
“President Obama promised American families that they would see their health insurance premiums go down because of the health care law. He actually told they would go down by over $2,000 per family.
“Well, now we know that that’s just not the case. In fact, Americans have seen their premiums increase 19% since the time that the President signed his health care bill into law.
Quality of Care Decreases
“Throughout the health care debate the President promised the American people that if they like their health care plan, his health care law would help them keep it. Another broken promise.
“Employers across the country made it clear the health care law’s mandates are too expensive and threaten their ability to offer insurance to their employees.
“A recent study by McKinsey and Company, which is a reputable national consulting firm, produced the report titled ‘How U.S. Health Care Reform Will Affect Employees’ Benefits.’
“Overall, the report says, 30% of employers will definitely or probably stop offering employer-sponsored coverage in the years after 2014, when the Obama health care law goes fully into effect.
“Apparently the President’s promise of if you like the health insurance you have today, you can keep it translates into you may very well lose your coverage.”
Makes Americans’ Ability to Get Care Worse
“A September 2010 study (Association of American Medical Colleges) said that by 2015 doctor shortages are actually 50% worse than originally projected. By 2020, there will be a shortage of 45,000 primary care physicians and a shortage of 46,000 surgeons and medical specialists.
“So, I find it ironic that we have a health care law that’s passed that actually doesn’t put money into training doctors to treat you, but puts money in to hire I.R.S. agents to investigate you.
“These studies clearly demonstrate that the President’s health care law will only make it harder for Americans to see their doctors. In fact, Washington only expanded the ability to folks to get government-approved, government-mandated, government-subsidized coverage.
“They did not expand the ability of the American people to actually get medical care. And there is a huge difference between medical coverage and medical care.
“Well, Mr. President, we’re giving individuals and families an insurance card but not really giving them access to the care that has been promised.”
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