Democrats Health Care Plan Costs Too Much, Covers Too Few, and Drops Too Many

It's a big news week in Washington, but perhaps no item is more significant than the cost analysis released by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for the Democrats’ new health care reform bill.

Proposed by Senator Ted Kennedy's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the CBO found that it would cost at least $1 trillion over 10 years, and yet leave tens of millions of people uninsured. What’s even more troubling is that this hefty price tag does not include the massive costs of a government-run insurance plan or an expansion of Medicaid.

Politico reports that:

"The CBO concluded that by 2017, for example, the ranks of the uninsured would drop by about one third, or 16 million people, relative to projections under the current law.

"In that year, about 39 million would be covered by policies purchased through a government-organized marketplace known as an exchange. At the same time, however, 15 million would lose their employer provided insurance and another 8 million would move away from coverage they receive through government programs, the analysis concluded."

In sum, this plan spends too much, covers too few, and forces too many to lose the coverage that they have now. Clearly, it is anything but a fiscally responsible approach to health care reform. But we really shouldn't be surprised seeing how reckless the White House and Congress have been with your money over the past several months.

A government takeover of health care will raise taxes, ration care, and let government bureaucrats make decisions that should be made by families and their health care professionals. Republicans support health care reform that puts patients first and protects the important doctor-patient relationship. Republicans want to make quality health care affordable and accessible for every American and we want to let those who like their current health care coverage keep it.

We cannot allow politicians and special interests to stand between patients and the care they need. The American people deserve the freedom to choose the health care that is best for their families.