GOP Doctors Caucus: A Birthday We Aren't Celebrating
Statement
Today marks the two-year anniversary of President Obama's overreaching federal health care law--a law that has looted Medicare, raised taxes, increased regulations, and caused health care costs to spiral. With this week's passage of the Medicare rationing panel known as IPAB, health care decisions are one step closer to returning from unelected bureaucrats to patients and their physicians. On the eve of the Supreme Court hearing to determine its constitutionality, the GOP Doctors Caucus continues to fight for patient-centered-health reforms.
Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D., Co-Chair (GA-11): "Obamacare has proven nothing more than an unmitigated disaster for patients and physicians and a fiscal nightmare for American taxpayers. On the two-year anniversary of this law, Americans have finally "learned' what it contains--broken promises and an enormous price tag. We were told if we liked our plan we could keep it. We were told if we liked our doctor, we would not have to change plans. We were told it would save the country nearly $1 trillion. Now, patients are finding they may not be able to keep either and that--instead of saving us nearly $1 trillion--it may cost us $1.8 trillion instead. I will continue to work to repeal this administration's failed health policies and implement meaningful, sustainable reforms instead."
Rep. Tim Murphy, Ph.D., Co-Chair (PA-18): "The day the President signed into law the healthcare bill he said it would "change the lives of tens of millions." There's been "change' but the American people sure don't "believe in' it. In the past two years, family premiums have risen by $2,500. Small businesses aren't hiring because of Obamacare's new mandates, costs, and taxes. Religious employers are being forced to violate their conscience in order to comply with the law. And just this week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says twenty million Americans could lose their health insurance -- twice as many as the CBO originally predicted -- because of Obamacare."
Rep. Dan Benishek M.D. (MI-01): "Today marks two years to the day since President Obama's health care bill was rammed through the Congress. As someone who treated patients for 28 years, I know firsthand that a one-size-fits-all approach is no solution to America's health care problems. As the Obama Administration is celebrating the Heath Care Law's birthday, the bill to all American taxpayers is rising, regulations are increasing, and equally troubling, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is now reporting millions may lose their employer sponsored insurance plan. Since I began serving Michigan's First Congressional District, I have continually advocated for health care reforms that put patients first, not federal bureaucrats. I firmly believe we need to focus on increasing health care access, competition among providers, and innovation in medical technologies."
Rep. Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D. (LA-07): "Obamacare was a short-sighted and ill-advised piece of legislation forced down the throat of America by Washington Democrats. Without the majority of public support or an explanation on how to pay for it, this Administration jeopardized the quality of care Americans have access to today. Two years later, we are seeing the full repercussions of this bill in the form of bloated government growth and terribly misleading figures that underestimated the true costs associated with implementation. Obamacare stunts job growth, fails to promote the doctor-patient relationship, and serves as a colossal reminder of the failures of this Administration."
Rep. Paul Broun, M.D. (GA-10): "In two short years, Democrats have managed to destroy every promise they made to the American people about healthcare reform," said Congressman Broun. "They promised Obamacare would create jobs, lower costs of insurance, and expand health care coverage to those who need it most. Yet on the two year anniversary of Obamacare, we have only seen abject failure in this massive government takeover of our healthcare system. We must repeal and replace this bill before it further devastates our prosperity and more importantly -- our liberty."
Rep. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-08): "The president's policies have failed us over the past three years, most specifically with Obamacare. This government takeover of one-sixth of our nation's economy must be fully repealed and replaced with common sense, private sector solutions that lower costs while increasing access to quality care for all Americans. The truth is finally coming out. The estimated cost is nearly double the President's initial projection, citizens are not allowed to keep their current insurance, and premiums are increasing on working families. We can see why the law is more unpopular now that it was two years ago. I am committed to repealing the entire law and replacing it with true health care reform. Over the past year I have voted twice to fully repeal the law and 24 times to repeal parts of the law."
Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, R.N. (NY-25): "Two years ago today President Obama signed his health care bill into law. This egregious government takeover of health care has done much more harm than good. The bill cuts Medicare by $500 billion and takes health care decisions out of the hands of patients, their family, and their doctor and places it into the hands of the government. I am pleased that the House has worked to repeal harmful measures of the health care law and will continue to fight alongside my colleagues for the bill's full repeal."
Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26): "Along with many excesses and constrictions in the law, IPAB represents the worst of what is envisioned under the health care law. As a physician, as a Member of Congress and as a patient in my 60's, I am offended by the Independent Payment Advisory Board. IPAB is not accountable to any constituency, and only exists to cut provider payments to fit a mathematically created "target.'"
Rep. Bill Cassidy M.D. (LA-06): "Two years ago, Democrats said Americans would know what is in the health care law when it passed. They were right, two years later Americans know the health care law is bad for seniors, bad for doctors and bad for our economy. The President's health care law has three particularly bad elements. First, it endangers seniors' access to care by cutting $575 billion from Medicare, secondly it puts bureaucrats between patients and doctors and thirdly, it costs the American taxpayer trillions. Just this month, the Congressional Budget Office stated that the law will cost $1.76 trillion dollars over the next ten years. Hopefully by this time next year, all of the President's health care will have been repealed and replaced with real reform."
Rep. Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (TN-04): "As a physician I'm appalled by the idea of a panel of 15 unelected Washington bureaucrats determining what procedures doctors can provide to Medicare patients. IPAB takes away the ability for seniors and their doctors to decide on how best to meet their health care needs. This unaccountable board's sole objective is to control Medicare costs by imposing price controls that will restrict seniors' access to doctors and ultimately lead to the rationing of care. The repeal of IPAB, coupled with much needed tort reform, should be a top priority."
Rep. Renee Ellmers, R.N. (NC-02): "Today marks the second anniversary of President Obama's assault on our nation's health care system - a mandated takeover of 1/6th of our nation's economy. The president's overhaul did nothing to make our citizens healthier and protect them from harm. Rather, Obamacare is and remains a redistribution of control. Its primary objective is to take healthcare decisions away from physicians and hospitals and place them in the hands of bureaucrats within the federal government."
"I ran for office in order to defund, dismantle, repeal, and replace Obamacare. By repealing the Independent Patient Advisory Board (IPAB) yesterday, we have dealt another blow to the president's takeover of our healthcare system. But this is only one battle in the fight to reclaim our freedoms. I will not rest until the entire law is repealed and today we are one step closer to fulfilling this promise."
Rep. John Fleming, M.D. (LA-04): "Obamacare is a bad law because it was based on a terrible premise: giving government more control over the doctor-patient relationship. We must repeal Obamacare in its entirety, save and strengthen Medicare, and pass common sense healthcare reforms that actually address the problem of rising costs."
Rep. Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-01): "On the two year anniversary of Obamacare, Americans stand resolved that this legislation if left in place, will spell the ruin of health care in this country. As a healthcare provider, I am confident that the best solution is a full repeal of this costly burdensome legislation which will hurt patients by undermining access to quality care while adding billions to our deficit. I will continue to advocate for stronger, smarter and more cost effective measures to solve our nation's healthcare crisis without government interference."
Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01): "Two years ago, President Obama and Nancy Pelosi claimed that Obamacare would lower health care costs and immediately create 400,000 jobs," said Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. "All it has actually done is raise health care premiums by over $2,000 and, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, potentially reduce the labor supply by 800,000 jobs, as a result of additional new taxes on business. The House voted to repeal the President's Medicare rationing board --the IPAB- this week, but we must continue to be committed to repealing all of the dangerous and costly Obamacare law."
House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA): "Over the course of the past two years, the American people have learned more about the president's health care law and the empty promises he and Democrats in Washington made while they worked behind closed doors to force this law through Congress. We were told that individuals would see their premiums go down and that folks could keep the coverage they had. These empty promises are turning into broken promises, and right now the American people are stuck with a law shamelessly built on budget gimmicks, expanded Washington power, and higher taxes that will take health care choices away from Americans. House Republicans stand with the American people when we say this law should be repealed. We believe there are positive, patient-centered solutions to our nation's health care challenges. Rather than putting Uncle Sam in the driver's seat, our solutions put patients in control. Full repeal of the president's health care law is the first step in bringing those solutions to the American people."
Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (TN-01): "As we reflect on the two year anniversary of passage of the president's health care law, the American people see its failure to address the cost crisis in our health care system and have a better understanding of the long-lasting negative impact it will have on our federal budget. The health care law has created uncertainty for families, seniors and small businesses through new burdensome regulations, rising premiums, and the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). This anniversary is a reminder that Congress must repeal the health care law at the request of the American people, and pass meaningful health care reform that will bring down the high costs in our health care system and get rid of waste, without costing jobs and compromising care."
The GOP Doctors Caucus is comprised of 21 medical providers in Congress who utilize medical expertise to develop patient-centered health care reforms focused on quality, access, affordability, portability, and choice.
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