Cole, OK Delegation React to CMS Report on Health Care Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the Oklahoma Delegation reacted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) analysis that the recently passed health care legislation will result in higher premiums, lower reimbursement rates, and will force many Americans from their current health care plan breaking President Obama’s promise of ‘if you like it, you can keep it.’
U.S. Rep. Tom Cole
"This report validates all of Oklahomans' worst fears about ObamaCare. The president's own analysts have now verified that concerns about cost hikes, Medicare cuts, and doctor shortages aren't just slogans -- they're the new reality now that government-controlled health care is the law of the land. We knew from the start that claims like 'if you like your health care, you can keep it' were false, and now CMS has confirmed that 14 million people will likely lose their employer-provided coverage, not to mention all the seniors who will lose coverage when Medicare providers drop out of the program. It's a shame that President Obama and Speaker Pelosi didn't listen to the American people, who knew all along that this plan was a disaster."
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe
“This report from President Obama’s own Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) confirms what those of us against the government takeover of health care feared. As a result of the passage of the Democrats socialized medicine measure, health care costs are expected to increase faster than they otherwise would have. This will have a negative impact on Oklahomans, especially the elderly and those living in rural portions of our state. The Democrat leadership in Congress rushed this through without regard for this type of information, and now Americans are faced with tax increases, premium increases, cost increases and an overall reduction in the quality of their care.”
U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin
“The report confirms what we feared all along. This misguided health care bill will increase costs on American families and businesses as they struggle to recover from the worst economic recession in a generation. It’s time to stop taxing and regulating families and businesses into the ground and provide them with the freedom and incentives they need to grow and prosper. That is why I support repealing the recently-passed health care bill and replacing it with cost-saving, market-based reforms that will increase consumer choices while driving down the excessive costs that have shut so many people out of our health care system in the past.”
U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas
“Rather than taking the time to ensure a full analysis was completed on their government takeover of health care, Speaking Pelosi and President Obama shoved it through Congress on a partisan vote before the American people could truly learn its long-term effects on the cost and standard of health care they would receive under it. The report released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) highlights what I and a majority of my fellow Americans repeatedly pointed out during the health care debate: that the bill would result in higher premiums, rationed health care, and would force many Americans from their current health care plans.”
U.S. Rep. John Sullivan
“As I have said from the start, higher premiums, higher taxes and cutting seniors Medicare is not reform. This Obama Administration report confirms that the new health care law clearly puts our nation on a path to bankruptcy, limits healthcare options for seniors and increases the price families and small businesses have to pay for the care they receive – this is exactly why I voted against it. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, I will lead the charge to repeal and replace Obamacare with real healthcare solutions that lower the price of healthcare, increase access to quality care, and allows patients to choose the healthcare plan that best fits their needs.”