U.S. Congressman John Boozman 3rd District of Arkansas

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More Problems With New Health Care Law Exposed
Posted by Boozman Press Office on July 23, 2010
After reading this article in the Associated Press, I see even more potential problems and upcoming issues within the newly imposed healthcare reform law for Arkansans. According to this article, Arkansas Surgeon General, Dr. Joe Thompson, voices concerns I share with him over the resulting implications of health care reform in our state. While these new health care reforms have been depicted positively by President Obama and other government officials as giving more Americans better access to healthcare, Dr. Thompson gives some insight into why a positive outcome will not necessarily be the case.

Although many more uninsured Americans will receive coverage, new issues will arise causing fewer Americans to receive healthcare, thus entering into a vicious cycle for Arkansans. One of the major points Dr. Thompson makes is the inevitable shortage of physicians throughout the state. Today, medical care providers are already in high demand and a shortage already exists. Read this article by the Association of American Medical Colleges to learn more about expected physician shortages and the impact of universal health care. With the addition of almost 500,000 uninsured Arkansans into health coverage of some sort, the demand for services will increase and an even greater shortage of medical care providers and space in our health facilities. This means that while more Arkansans will have financial medical coverage, they will be unable to access the physicians and services they need. In rural areas, it will be even more difficult to obtain care as physician shortages are already high there. This is not good for our farmers or anyone else who does not have quick and easy access to city medical facilities. For big city folks, this may seem less concerning; however, with current physician shortages in urban areas and an increase of out-of-town patients, folks in the most metropolitan areas of Arkansas will also have a hard time with access.

Another issue that worries me is where the funding will come in Arkansas from for this new reform. A large portion of the funding needed will fall under an expanded Medicaid system which is already struggling to meet current demand. The federal government will pay for the Medicare expansion from 2014 to 2017 only. The additional cost to Arkansas annually after that will be $200,000,000. Two hundred million dollars. Where will this money come from? And how will any of us be able to afford it? This new healthcare "reform" is not the reform we need or want. I stand for commonsense reform that contains costs while providing healthcare to everyone who needs it, but not at the expense of Arkansans’ hard-earned money. The burden of this "reform" is falling onto the shoulders of the State of Arkansas and its citizens. This burden does not sit well with me, and I will continue to act as an advocate for Arkansans and Americans by speaking out against this new legislation and working to repeal it and defund it.

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    My Voting Record
    RC# Bill Vote
    595 h res 1724 Yea
    594 h res 1217 Aye
    593 h j res 101 Nay
    592 h res 1430 Aye
    591 h res 1735 Aye
    590 h con res 323 Yea
    589 h res 1741 Nay

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