It's one of the funniest and most ridiculous statements yet heard on the floor of the House, and that's saying something. Providing health care will kill you? No wonder they want to take it away...
Here’s what Michele Bachmann is completely unaware of in her little enclosed Republican bubble. I've adapted this story slightly from a Florida article, since all the features of the Affordable Care Act are the same everywhere, so it's clear what has happened so far:
Miami Harold: (Those) who have health insurance now have more security thanks to new insurance-market reforms and consumer protections put into place by the law. Preventive services like mammograms and flu shots are newly available for free to 3.8 million people with private insurance plans. Medicare beneficiaries with the highest prescription drug costs have saved an average of $678 on their medications … And are now protected from some of the worst insurance-industry abuses such as lifetime coverage caps that could cut off benefits when people need them most.
The law has also begun to curb rising health costs across the system by cracking down on waste and fraud and creating powerful incentives for hospitals to spend their resources more wisely. These reforms have already led to significant improvements in health outcomes.
That includes the first drop in hospital readmissions for Medicare beneficiaries on record, which means when people with Medicare go home from the hospital, they are more likely to stay healthy and less likely to have to return for additional care.
Just as important, this progress has contributed to the slowest sustained growth in health spending in 50 years. National healthcare spending has now grown at historic lows for three consecutive years — and Medicare and Medicaid spending is growing even more slowly. In 2012, Medicare spending per beneficiary rose by less than half of 1 percent, while Medicaid spending actually dropped by nearly 2 percent.
The healthcare law is demonstrating the right way to deal with rising costs. Instead of simply shifting the burden onto seniors and the needy, it’s bringing down costs across the system by improving care coordination and cutting waste. And it’s holding insurance companies accountable by limiting how much of your premium they can spend on marketing and overhead. This protection has already produced $123.6 million in rebates for residents of Florida.
The marketplace will give individuals, families, and small business owners a simple, convenient way to find a private insurance plan that fits their budget.
Beginning next year, it will also finally be illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against people with a pre-existing medical condition or disability.
