Today U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (TX-03) introduced legislation to halt the implementation of President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare.
Johnson introduced the Freeze and Investigate Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3095, which would freeze the provisions of the health reform law that are not yet in effect until its full impact has been studied.
“This law is not what Americans asked for,” said Johnson. “Already, insurance premiums have skyrocketed, forcing employers to pass on the financial burden to their employees. Continuing to implement this ill-advised policy is harmful to the economic recovery of our nation.”
Consequentially, there are no real provisions in the law to decrease the cost of healthcare services. A recent study from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows employer-provided health insurance premiums have risen 8-9 percent in 2011 alone, yet many of the law’s more onerous provisions have not yet taken effect.
Without a freeze, businesses, states and individuals will have to prepare for the coming onslaught of costly requirements and taxes. In 2012 and 2013 several provisions are set to take place, including tax hikes totaling $50 billion, $15 billion of cuts to Medicare Advantage plans, and $19 billion of new spending within new entitlement programs. The 2,000 pages of legalese, loopholes and massive liabilities also creates 159 new boards, commissions, bureaus, and programs; nearly 500 implementation deadlines; and 1,968 new and expanded secretarial powers- a recipe for bureaucratic disaster.
Last Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stated, “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it,” before forcing the vote on this government-takeover of our healthcare system. The Freeze and Investigate Affordable Care Act will allow time for an independent commission, appointed by Congress and the President, to investigate the impact of the law on patients and the economy - time that wasn’t granted last Congress when the 2,000-page bill was rushed through Congress and the White House.
“We can make health insurance more affordable, more accessible and more available without increasing government dependence and further harming the economy,” said Johnson.
Johnson represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.
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