Thursday, October 22, 2009

ObamaCare would increase health care burden

The Office of the Actuary, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, exposes the hard truth about ObamaCare:
The nation's medical costs will keep spiraling upward even faster than they are now under Democratic legislation pending in the House, a report from government economic experts concluded Wednesday. ...

Unlike previous estimates that have focused mainly on the legislation's impact on the federal deficit, the actuaries' report looked at total costs, public and private, over the next 10 years. It found that the nation's health care tab would increase somewhat more rapidly with the legislation than if nothing is done. The main reason: Newly insured people will seek medical care. ...

Health care would account for 21.3 percent of the U.S. economy in 2019, slightly more than an estimated share of 20.8 percent of the economy if no bill passes. Economists have warned such increases are unsustainable.

"With the exception of the proposed reductions in Medicare ... (the legislation) would not have a significant impact on future health care cost growth rates," the report said. Moreover, it's "doubtful" that proposed Medicare cuts will stay in place, the analysts concluded.
If I remember correctly, the House bill includes the public option. This casts serious doubt on the Democrats' claim that the public option would reduce health care costs.

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