U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) released his version of a health care bill yesterday, the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” which spans more than 2,000 pages and costs $2.5 trillion, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. Read the bill and see the cost at the links below.
U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) believes every piece of legislation in the Senate should be available to the public with a full cost analysis by the CBO three days before consideration by any subcommittee or committee of the Senate or on the floor of the Senate, according to a press release issued Thursday. While he continues to analyze the bill he made the following comments about what he has discovered so far.
“The Reid bill would drive up health care costs for most families, increase taxes on workers and small businesses, and cut Medicare benefits for seniors. This bill would leave 24 million people without insurance coverage and force millions more to lose the insurance they already have. Want more taxes? How about Medicare cuts? This has them, to the tune of about a half trillion dollars each. The total price tag - $2.5 trillion. We need to do better than this and I believe we can.
“Like the Pelosi bill, the Reid bill is government-centered, not patient-centered. It’s chock-full of new taxes and higher health care costs that would threaten jobs, weaken our economy, punish families and small businesses trying to make ends meet, and stick our children and grandchildren with the bill.
“We need health care reform, but it has to be done the right way. We have to bring down costs so that everyone can have access to the quality, affordable care they need. I’m focused on an alternative, step-by-step approach to reduce health care costs, preserve the rights of patients to see the doctors of their choice, protect Medicare coverage for seniors, eliminate discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, and ensure that people can take their insurance with them from job-to-job.”
“The Reid bill would drive up health care costs for most families, increase taxes on workers and small businesses, and cut Medicare benefits for seniors. This bill would leave 24 million people without insurance coverage and force millions more to lose the insurance they already have. Want more taxes? How about Medicare cuts? This has them, to the tune of about a half trillion dollars each. The total price tag - $2.5 trillion. We need to do better than this and I believe we can.
“Like the Pelosi bill, the Reid bill is government-centered, not patient-centered. It’s chock-full of new taxes and higher health care costs that would threaten jobs, weaken our economy, punish families and small businesses trying to make ends meet, and stick our children and grandchildren with the bill.
“We need health care reform, but it has to be done the right way. We have to bring down costs so that everyone can have access to the quality, affordable care they need. I’m focused on an alternative, step-by-step approach to reduce health care costs, preserve the rights of patients to see the doctors of their choice, protect Medicare coverage for seniors, eliminate discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, and ensure that people can take their insurance with them from job-to-job.”
To read the CBO’s letter to Reid, click here (pdf link).
In response to the bill, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said this, “Senator Reid’s 2,074-page health care bill still means higher premiums, it still means higher taxes, and it still cuts Medicare.
“This bill is financed with billions of dollars in Medicare cuts. Taking away health care from seniors is not the answer. Our seniors have relied on Medicare, they have been promised Medicare. Instead this bill cuts Medicare to fund a brand new untested program.
“This bill raises taxes on Americans. Higher payroll taxes and fees will not persuade businesses to hire new employees. This is not the right prescription for our country when one in ten Americans can’t find work.
“The people of Wyoming want practical, common-sense health care reforms. They want the kind of reform that will drive down the cost of medical care. The people of Wyoming want reform that will improve access to providers and create more choices. This bill does not do that. This bill is not reform.”
Click here to read the bill.
“This bill is financed with billions of dollars in Medicare cuts. Taking away health care from seniors is not the answer. Our seniors have relied on Medicare, they have been promised Medicare. Instead this bill cuts Medicare to fund a brand new untested program.
“This bill raises taxes on Americans. Higher payroll taxes and fees will not persuade businesses to hire new employees. This is not the right prescription for our country when one in ten Americans can’t find work.
“The people of Wyoming want practical, common-sense health care reforms. They want the kind of reform that will drive down the cost of medical care. The people of Wyoming want reform that will improve access to providers and create more choices. This bill does not do that. This bill is not reform.”
Click here to read the bill.
Watch video on Sen. Reed's Website.
Of course it's going to cost more, the new healthcare plan (whatever is passed) will hopefully cover more people. How do we pay for more services? Taxes.
ReplyDeleteWyomingites pay very little for taxes. Wake up. Quit holding out one hand asking for services and using the other one to hold on tight to your pennies.
BTW, sounds like party line from Dr. B.