On Christmas Eve, I voted against the Senate’s version of health care reform legislation. I am strongly opposed to the Senate bill, because I believe it would raise taxes, raise premiums, cut benefits for seniors and place a massive unfunded mandate on Georgia and other states to pay for a proposed expansion of Medicaid.
On Nov. 7, the House passed health care reform legislation that would cost $1.2 trillion over 10 years. The bill also would create a public insurance plan to compete with offerings from private companies and would pay for the coverage expansion by raising taxes on upper-income earners. I am adamantly opposed to the House bill.
Now, the House and Senate must try to reconcile the differences in their two bills, and then both chambers must cast another vote to accept the new bill. The White House and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate met this week and may seek to bypass a formal conference on the health care reform bill and instead work out an informal agreement between top Democrats without Republican input.
I am very disappointed that the Democrats would seek to continue the secret negotiations and lack of transparency that have characterized this debate from the beginning.
Once fully implemented in 2014, the Senate proposal would cost an estimated $2.5 trillion over 10 years. Despite the exorbitant cost, an estimated 23 million Americans would still be left without health insurance under the Democrats’ proposal. The Senate bill also includes $518.5 billion in tax increases and over $470 billion in Medicare cuts for seniors.
I also was very disappointed by the backroom deals that Democratic Leader Reid made with certain Senate Democrats in order to secure their votes on his health care proposal.
For example, Georgia and most states will face billions of dollars in massive unfunded mandates to cover the cost of the proposed expansion of Medicaid contained in the bill. However, in order to win the vote of Senator Ben Nelson, D-Neb., Reid inserted a provision in the bill that says the federal government would cover the cost of all new Medicaid beneficiaries in Nebraska, saving that state $100 million over 10 years. I have asked Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker to review the constitutionality of the Medicaid deal.
As a member of the HELP Committee, I recognize the frustrations many Americans have with the current cost and delivery of health care. I agree we must look for solutions to find ways to provide access to affordable health care to individuals who lack access to health insurance through an employer.
I believe there could be some common ground between Republicans and Democrats in terms of insurance portability and not being rejected for pre-existing conditions or cancelled if you have a disease. However, I firmly believe the best way to reach these goals is through choice and competition in the private sector.
I believe the key to health care reform is stimulating competition in a market-based system that will encourage private health insurers and managed care providers to compete for business and make health insurance more affordable for consumers. I also believe Congress should look carefully into proposals that will increase coverage of preventative and wellness care, which will help control the cost of managing chronic diseases and drive down the cost of treating largely preventable conditions.
The thousands of Georgians I have heard from back home during the last several months are very leery of being pushed into a government-run system that will have to be paid for with higher taxes. I will not be a part of driving Americans to a government-run health care system that we can’t afford.
I am a co-sponsor of S.1099, Patients' Choice Act of 2009, which seeks to strengthen the relationship between the patient and the doctor by using choice and competition, rather than rationing and restrictions, to contain costs and ensure affordable health care for all Americans.
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