Guest post from the Republican Study Committee
Democrats have spent the last year trying to sell a government takeover of health care to an American public that just isn’t buying. After failing for so long, it looks like the White House has decided to add a new wrinkle to its marketing scheme. It’s the same government takeover of health care you still don’t want…(drum roll)…now with price controls!
The plan unveiled by the White House earlier today is basically the Senate bill with a few changes. Let’s take a look to see what the Obama administration still mistakenly thinks health care reform should look like. The White House plan:
- Still levies mandates on individuals and employers.
- Still leaves $650 billion in savings on the table every year by ignoring real medical liability reform.
- Still puts Washington bureaucrats in charge of defining “quality” health care. Still cuts Medicare Advantage.
But wait, there’s more! For an unlimited time only, the White House plan also:
- Still raises taxes to pay for new entitlement programs (only this time the Medicare payroll tax increase is even higher).
- Still gives the government-run plan a beachhead to eliminate the private insurance market.
You see, it really is the same government takeover you still don’t want. Only now the Obama administration has included a “Health Insurance Rate Authority” to make sure that insurance premiums aren’t any higher than Uncle Sam says they should be. After all, price controls are as American as apple pie. Incidentally, apple pie must now be sold for $1.25 or less. If you do not comply, you will not sell pie.