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Burgess: The Findings From This Report Should Surprise No One

Report from CMS actuary says health costs will rise under new health reform law

Washington, April 23, 2010 | Lauren Bean (202-226-9895)
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, released the following statement on the recent report from the Office of the Actuary at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services: “The findings from this report should surprise no one. For over a year I have said that the Democrats more-government-and-higher-taxes approach was the wrong way to achieve meaningful health reform, and would fail. Americans can expect to pay more for health care insurance, and businesses will be squeezed by higher costs, more rules and regulations, and higher taxes.
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, released the following statement on the recent report from the Office of the Actuary at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services:

“The findings from this report should surprise no one. For over a year I have said that the Democrats more-government-and-higher-taxes approach was the wrong way to achieve meaningful health reform, and would fail. Americans can expect to pay more for health care insurance, and businesses will be squeezed by higher costs, more rules and regulations, and higher taxes. Cutting Medicare, not to save the program, but to create a new entitlement, is nothing more than robbing Peter to pay Paul. Even so, it is highly unlikely that the proposed Medicare cuts would actually be allowed to go into effect down the road, as the analysis states.

“The frustrating thing is, President Obama and Democrats in Washington had another choice – they could have tried to work together with Republicans, like myself, who are very interested and involved in our nation’s health care system. This is what the American people wanted us to do, and I am confident it would have yielded a worthwhile product, unlike the one we must live with today. But they decided to go it alone, writing the bills behind closed doors with special interest groups. In fact, I have requested information from the White House on negotiations and deals made in secret with six associations involved in health reform, and have yet to receive anything useful.

“For the past year, Democrats have lived in a mythical land where rapidly expanding the growth of government with new entitlements and bureaucracies while also cutting the deficit are able to coexist in harmony. I have said for over a year that this is, at the very least, wishful thinking. But the Democrats have fooled no one, and this latest report is one more example of why this deeply flawed law should be repealed.”

NOTE: To view the report, click here.

Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D., is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, and a member of the Health and Energy & Environment subcommittees. He is also a member of the bipartisan, bicameral Joint Economic Committee. Prior to becoming a member of Congress in 2002, Congressman Burgess practiced medicine in North Texas for over 25 years.