ObamaCare eliminates choice and freedom

Part of the reason Democrats are having such a hard time in the House, is that they have proposed a bill that confirms our fears that it is not only an assault on our quality of health care, but on our economic well being and liberty. Here are some details:

Freedom and Choice

The bill creates a government-run plan intended to destroy the existing market for private health insurance.

The bill does not provide mechanisms to encourage more affordable health insurance options; it does not address frivolous lawsuits that drive up the cost of care; it does not address Medicare and Medicaid fraud that rob the system of billions of dollars; and it does not contain provisions that will reduce the cost of health care over the long-term.

Devastating Economic Costs

The bill raises the top income tax rate by 5.4 percent, raises the capital gains tax by the same amount, increases the payroll tax by eight percent on employers that don't offer health care to their workforce, and adds a 2.5 percent tax on income of individuals if they don't buy insurance.

Businesses would be subject to a “pay-or-play” requirement, which the CBO said will cause businesses to lower wages, cut jobs, and outsource workers.
A coalition of prominent business groups including the Chamber, NFIB, and the Business Roundtable warned that the pay-or-play provision could end up killing many jobs.

Quality of Care

The bill creates a Health Benefits Advisory Committee to determine the type of benefits that Americans must have as part of health insurance offered through a new exchange.

The bill includes significant cuts to Medicare, but it does little to improve its sustainability or promote higher-value health care.
The plan would expand Medicaid to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, with the government assuming all costs. Expanding access to a broken system is not the right way to reform health care.