EDMOND — No matter how many different ways she scores it, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s health care legislation will cost the American taxpayers about $1 trillion. Right now, the federal government is running a deficit — fiscal year 2009 ended with the government more than $1.42 trillion in debt — and our national debt continues to climb every day.
In order to pay for her almost trillion-dollar federal government takeover of health care, Pelosi plans to make dramatic cuts to the Medicare program used by many of our senior citizens. Cuts to Medicare will cause some health care providers to drop out of the program, limiting seniors’ access to this popular program and causing many to lose their current coverage. In addition, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has stated that the Pelosi health care plan will increase seniors’ Medicare prescription drug premiums by 20 percent in the next 10 years. That means many of our seniors no longer will be able to afford the prescription drugs they need to survive.
So much for President Barack Obama’s promise, “If you like your plan, you can keep it.”
Millions of seniors take advantage of the Medicare program in this country today and most are very happy with their coverage. However, under the Pelosi bill, seniors may be forced out of Medicare or incur higher costs and premiums. And all of this to pay for a trillion-dollar federal government takeover of our health care system that a majority of Americans do not support. Is this really the way we should be treating our senior citizens?
Reforms within our health care system are needed, but we should be focused on the areas that need the most attention: decreasing costs and increasing accessibility for rural Americans. I will continue to fight against any health care legislation that includes the so-called “public option,” which really means higher taxes, a decrease in the standard of care, cuts to Medicare and bureaucrats in Washington coming between doctors and patients.
REP. FRANK LUCAS represents Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. For more Frankly Speakings, visit Lucas’ blog at www.house.gov/lucas/frankly-speaking/index.shtml.
Opinion
Government takeover of health care hurts seniors
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