This is the text of a letter I received from Senator John Cornyn, one of my senators, in response to a letter some friends and I sent him, encouraging him to support Health Care Reform, myself being someone unable to retain private insurance as an adult because I was hit by a car as a child.
JOHN CORNYN
TEXAS
UNITED STATES SENATE
WASHINGTON, DC. 20510-4305
October 29, 2010
Mr. Matthew Beckett, And Friendship
6535 Fair Valley Trail
Austin, Texas 78749
Dear Friends:
Thank you for contacting me regarding health care reform. The existing American health care system faces a myriad of both complex challenges and strengths. The recent passage of sweeping health care reform holds dramatic implications for our $2.6 trillion health care system and for all 300 million Americans, and I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this important issue.
I often hear the frustration of many Texans struggling to meet their health care needs in the existing system, and I understand the importance of implementing common-sense reforms that achieve results. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), spending on health care accounted for approximately 17 percent of gross domestic product in 2009-or $2.6 trillion. Health care premiums have more than doubled over the last ten years and far outpaced wage growth. Additionally, the Medicare program has an unfunded liability, benefits Washington has promised but lacks a plan to pay for, of $38 trillion. The Medicaid Program is plagued with fraud and poor access to care. There is no question that meaningful health care reform is needed.
As you know, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-152) were recently signed into law by President Barack Obama. I voted against both pieces of legislation, and while I understand that the need for health care reform is real, I believe that reform must be the right kind of reform. Appropriate efforts at reform must lower health care costs for American families, taxpayers, and businesses. Unfortunately, these pieces of legislation simply expand a broken system and I believe that this will exacerbate our current health care problems.
The new health care law will spend $2.6 trillion over a ten year period starting in 2014. Accordingly, this legislation raises taxes by more than half a trillion dollars over the next decade—negatively impacting job growth and the economy. These taxes include a substantially higher and broader Medicare payroll taxes, which could harm small businesses; new taxes on medical treatments, which will ultimately mean higher costs for patients; and new taxes on health care benefits. Furthermore, this legislation will cut half a trillion dollars from the nearly-bankrupt Medicare program to create unsustainable new entitlement programs. Half of all Americans gaining coverage under the new law, approximately 16 million individuals, will have Medicaid as their only health care option,.and despite an unprecedented level of new entitlement spending, the new law will leave 24 million Americans uninsured. This dramatic expansion of Medicaid will force state taxpayers to spend even more money, which for Texas is approximately $27 billion over a ten year period. Finally, the new law does not effectively address rising health care costs. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, small businesses will continue to face status quo premium increases and premiums for families purchasing insurance on their own will increase by 10 to 13 percent in addition to the status quo. The Obama Administration's own chief Actuary issued a report showing that national health expenditures will increase,not decrease, under the new law.
Furthermore, I am deeply disappointed with the process of health care reform. Rather than an open and transparent process to allow careful evaluation of complex legislation affecting all 300 million Americans, this law was developed behind closed doors and passed with special interest deals and political payoffs. After Massachuseetts sent Senator Scott Brown to Washington in January, the seldom-used reconciliation tactic was implemented to pass health care reform without full consideration and debate. Reconciliation, designed to reduce federal budget deficits, was used to enact a $2.6 trillion new entitlement program.
Our health care system needs common-sense reform, and make no mistake, I do not believe that the status quo is acceptable. I am a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 3152 which would repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L.. 111-148). I believe that this legislation should be repealed and replaced with realistic reforms that lower health care costs, address entitlement spending, and increase access to affordable health coverage. The right kind of reform will emphasize individual choice and trusting patients, their families, and their doctors—not insurance company or government bureaucrats—to make health care decisions. Health care affects every American, and I believe we need to get it right.
I encourage you to visit my website at http://cornyn.senate.gov for more information regarding the health care reforms I support. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of Texans in The United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
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