VOTES AGAINST RECONCILIATION BILL THAT FAILS TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE BILL
 

Washington, Mar 25, 2010 -

“This Reconciliation legislation contains the so-called ‘fixes’ that were promised to gain House approval of the health care bill,” said Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Sixth).  “However, this measure fails to remove egregious special deals in that bill and fails to add the needed protections for military retirees and veterans.In addition, insurance companies still have the ability to refuse coverage to children with pre-existing medical problems until 2014.”

The House today approved H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act that the Senate approved earlier in the day.Explained Stearns, “This measure did not eliminate special earmarks such as $100 million for the University of Connecticut, the ‘Louisiana Purchase’ providing $300 million in Medicaid funding for Louisiana, the higher Medicare payments for hospitals in Hawaii, and special Medicare coverage for miners in Libby, Montana.”

“In addition, it does not correct the language that could require veterans and military retirees on TRICARE or CHAMPVA to secure additional coverage if a government bureaucrat determines that these plans do not meet certain standards,” added Stearns.  “Real health care reform would expand choices, but the bill mandates Medicaid coverage in 2014 for all those eligible for the program; that means everyone below 133 percent of the poverty level will be forced into Medicaid with no other option.

Stearns continued, “Also, the legislation mandates that health plans cover ‘preventive services’ without excluding abortions as a preventive service, possibly opening the door to taxpayer-funded abortions.  The health care plan calls for hiring 16,000 more IRS agents to enforce its provisions at a cost of $10 billion.  There is also an estimate expense of $50 billion for the bureaucracy running the government health care expansion, but the $10 billion and $50 billion amounts are not included in the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate.  Instead of offering remedies, this measure underscores the extensive problems in the health care bill.”