Rep. Young Comments On Republican Health Care Alternative
Washington,
Nov 5, 2009 -
Washington, D.C. – Alaskan Congressman Don Young released the following statement today after the Congressional Budget Office reported that the House Republican health care plan will reduce health care premiums by up to 10 percent and lower federal budget deficits by $68 billion over the next ten years. The Republican alternative has been formulated as a 235-page bill to be offered as a substitute floor amendment during consideration of H.R. 3962, Speaker Pelosi’s Government Takeover of Health Care.
“One of the biggest issues with health care in this country is the cost,” said Rep. Young. “Speaker Pelosi’s bill does absolutely nothing to address cost of care; it just throws more taxpayer dollars at the issue to pay for it. Among the many provisions included, the Republican alternative includes much needed tort reform, establishes Universal Access Programs to guarantee access to affordable care for those with pre-existing conditions, and allows Americans to buy insurance across state lines.
“We CAN lower health care costs without raising taxes, without cutting Medicare, and without spending over $1 trillion of taxpayer money, and if only the Speaker would have allowed open and honest debate and discussion with both sides of the aisle, she would know that. But she has chosen to go at this on her own, and because of that, we all will suffer the consequences.
“Unfortunately, this health care bill before us now is a bit like bobbing for apples in an outhouse; the harder you look, the more waste you find!”
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Pelosi Plan
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GOP Alternative
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Employer Mandate to Provide Coverage Deemed Acceptable to the Government?
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YES. Employer mandate requires “acceptable” coverage or imposes up to an 8% payroll tax; employers unable to afford coverage face a combined $135 billion tax hike.
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NO.
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Exempt Small Businesses From New Taxes?
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NO. New “surtax” has no small business exemption, and small employers with only, on average, 17 or more employees are subject to the employer mandate tax.
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YES. Small businesses are not subject to any new taxes under the plan.
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Small Business “Surtax”?
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YES. Imposes a new $153.5 billion tax on small businesses.
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NO.
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Exempt Small Businesses From New Taxes?
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NO. New “surtax” has no small business exemption, and small employers with only, on average, 17 or more employees are subject to the employer mandate tax.
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YES. Small businesses are not subject to any new taxes under the plan.
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Require Small Businesses to pay a minimum percentage of employee health care premiums?
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YES. If employers do not pay at least 72.5% of individual premiums and 65% of family premiums, an 8% payroll tax is imposed.
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NO.
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Allow small businesses to pool together outside of the government-run exchange and offer health care at lower prices?
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NO. As structured, the only new insurance options for a limited number of small businesses would be through the government-run exchange.
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YES. Small businesses would be able to pool together and offer health care at lower prices – just as corporations and unions do now.
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Real Medical Liability Reform?
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NO. No real medical liability relief is included.
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YES. Implements reforms that will reduce costly, unnecessary defensive medicine practiced by doctors trying to protect themselves from overzealous trial lawyers.
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Employers Allowed to Reward Workers for Wellness?
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NO. Grants to promote prevention and wellness could not be used as a financial incentive for workers.
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YES. Incorporating successful private sector models, employers are given greater flexibility to financially reward employees for prevention and wellness efforts.
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Cuts to Medicare?
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YES. CBO estimates the bill would cut Medicare by $505 billion over the next ten years, and that Medicare cuts in the bill “will increase by 10 to 15 percent per year in the next decade.”
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NO. Medicare is not cut.
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Benefit Reductions for Seniors in Medicare Advantage Plans?
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YES. CBO estimates the bill would make more than $150 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans over the next ten years. CBO also says that the MA cuts in the bill, “could lead many plans to limit the benefits they offer, raise premiums, or withdraw from the program.”
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NO. Medicare Advantage is not cut, and benefits will not be limited or reduced.
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Seniors Forced Out of Current Coverage They Like?
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YES. Today, nearly 11 million seniors nationwide choose Medicare Advantage (MA) plans as the coverage that best meet their needs. An earlier analysis by Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee found that 6 million seniors will be denied access to an affordable MA plan, including 3 million who will lose the plan they currently have.
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NO. Seniors will be able to keep their current Medicare – including Medicare Advantage – plan if they like it.
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Premium Increases for Seniors?
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YES. CBO estimates that seniors’ Part D (prescription drug coverage) premiums will increase by at least 20%.
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NO. There are no changes to Medicare that will increase premiums for seniors.
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Include a government-run plan that includes elective abortion coverage?
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YES. The government-run plan is authorized to cover elective abortions.
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NO. The GOP plan does not create a government-run plan. It does include language that codifies the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for elective abortions.
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Use federal funds to pay for
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YES. The government-run plan will authorize that federal funds
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NO. The GOP plan includes language that codifies the Hyde
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Unfunded Mandates on States?
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YES. Federal mandated expansion of Medicaid to cost states $34 billion over first ten years according to CBO.
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NONE.
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Medicaid Coverage Mandates?
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YES. Raises threshold for mandatory Medicaid coverage to 150% of FPL ($33,000 per year for a family of four); Requires states now covering above 150% of FPL to maintain eligibility.
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NONE.
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Foster State Innovation?
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NO. In fact, Sec. 2531(a)(4) prohibits states from receiving new incentive payments to adopt liability reforms if they put limits on attorneys’ fees or impose caps on damages.
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YES. Gives states the tools to create their own innovative reforms that lower health care costs.
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Real Medical Liability Reform?
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NO. No real medical liability relief is included.
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YES. Implements reforms that will reduce costly, unnecessary
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