News and Views

Health Plan Put Together Behind Closed Doors Will Increase Costs, Reduce Benefits, Congressman Jerry Lewis Warns

WASHINGTON – The 1,990-page health care plan that was put together in secret by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a handful of other Democrats ignores the concerns of the American people and creates a plan that will cost hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars, raise health care costs and cut Medicare benefits for senior citizens, Congressman Jerry Lewis said Thursday.

Lewis issued the following statement in opposition to the proposed plan:

“As thousands of my constituents feared, the health care plan put together behind closed doors by Speaker Pelosi and her team will bring government intrusion into every American’s decisions about their health care needs. The plan would create a “public insurance company” that would receive billions in subsidies, paid for with taxes on current health care plans and the elimination of tax-reducing benefits now enjoyed by millions of Americans.”

“The plan would force small business owners with as few as 17 employees to provide health care or pay a tax, and would dump billions of dollars in Medicaid costs on the states with no reimbursement. It raises Medicare Part B premiums by $25 billion and Part D premiums by 20 percent.”

“The plan does absolutely nothing to reduce the increased costs caused by doctors practicing defensive medicine to avoid junk lawsuits and runaway malpractice insurance premiums. But it puts the government in the lunch room by requiring that all vending machines be redesigned to show the nutrition labels of all food being sold.”

“The real truth is we are just beginning to find the massive problems that will come if this bill is passed. Like most of my constituents and many of my colleagues, I will demand that we have the maximum time possible to go over this plan in detail before any vote is taken on the House floor.”

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