March 23, 2012

Vitter on Obamacare Anniversary: Two Years Too Many

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter today made the following statement on the two-year anniversary of the passage of Obamacare.

“In the face of tremendous public outrage and bipartisan opposition, the president and liberals in Congress violated the Constitution and ignored the will of American people when making Obamacare the law of the land. Obamacare is unconstitutional, raises taxes and premiums, and cuts Medicare by half a trillion dollars – not to make the program solvent, but to fund a new entitlement. You can be sure that many of us will continue our efforts in Congress to repeal Obamacare and work on making health care more affordable and accessible,” Vitter said.

Since Obamacare was forced through Congress, polls have consistently shown that Americans want it to be repealed, and support for repeal has only grown over the past year.  Below are some statistics and evidence that Obamacare is driving up costs and will reduce access to coverage, especially for seniors.

Medicare Advantage Cuts
• Louisiana seniors are projected to be the hardest hit Medicare beneficiaries in the country because of the bill’s Medicare Advantage cuts.
• A report estimates that projected Medicare Advantage enrollment will drop by more than 125,000 Louisiana seniors, or 62%.
• The report also estimates that benefits for Louisiana seniors will be reduced by an average of $5,092.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/09/Reductions-in-Medicare-Advantage-Payments-The-Impact-on-Seniors-by-Region

Medicaid Costs to Louisiana
• The House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Finance Committee released a report estimating that the unfunded Medicaid mandate will cost states at least $118 billion.
• Louisiana DHH and the report conclude that the Medicaid expansion will cost Louisiana $7 billion for the first ten years of implementation (2014-2023).
http://energycommerce.house.gov/media/file/PDFs/030111MedicaidReport.pdf
http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/publications/pubs-81/Presentation.pdf

Ineffective Small Business Tax Credit
• The NFIB has said that the bill’s small business tax credit “will not make health care more affordable” and “the minimal benefits of this tax credit are easily outweighed by the new and expensive burdens of this law.”
• According to the NFIB, only 26% of Louisiana small businesses will qualify for the tax credit (meaning 74% do not qualify).
http://www.nfib.com/press-media/newsroom-article/cmsid/52099