Republican Senators Tom Coburn and John Barasso–the only DOCTORS serving in the Senate– just released an oversight report entitled “Bad Medicine: A Check-Up On The New Federal Health Law,” that examines the implementation of the law nearly 100 days after passage. The full report is available here.
“One hundred days after the new federal health care law was passed, Americans remain anxious about how it will impact them and their families. Unfortunately, when measured against the Administration’s own stated goals, the new health law fails to address the top health care concerns of the American people.”
Facts highlighted in the report include:
FACT: The new health law increases the cost of health care.
FACT: Sixteen million Americans are forced into Medicaid – a program that denies care, has higher rates of infant mortality, and yields lower health outcomes for patients.
FACT: Citizens will be forced to purchase costlier health insurance or pay a tax, but illegal immigrants will continue to get free care and those costs will be shifted onto citizens.
FACT: The individual mandate will fail with the IRS as the health care enforcer, but uninsured Americans will be considered violators of the law even as costs increase further.
FACT: Millions of Americans will lose their current health plan as employers either drop coverage or purchase more expensive, government-dictated health insurance.
FACT: Patients with pre-existing conditions still face care restrictions, since the new federal risk pool is seriously underfunded and will offer coverage months after required by the new law.