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The President's Health Care Law: A Year in Review

October 15, 2014
Bilirakis Blog

On October 1, 2013, Healthcare.gov – the main website for the President's health care law – went live. The President and his allies in the House and Senate sold this law on a number of promises – the ability to keep your plan and doctor, and an average reduction of $2500 in premiums for a family of four, to name a few.

For years, those who opposed the law, like me, have been publicly saying that the law would:

Raise premiums;

Reduce access to doctors and hospitals;

Cut Medicare by $500 billion[1];

Waste taxpayer dollars

When the President said "if you like your plan, you can keep it," that was deemed PolitFact's Lie of the Year.

The fact is the promises made about the President's health care law were broken. No amount of executive action and no number of speeches can make up for the failure that is the Affordable Care Act.

Premiums have increased – this is a fact. A 27 year old man in Pasco County will, on average, see his premiums increase 77%. A 64 year old woman in my District will see her prices increase 48%. Rather than saving Americans money, the President's health care law is costing my constituents and other Americans hundreds, if not thousands of dollars more a year. Use your zip code and find your rate changes.

"If you like your plan, you can keep it" – we know that was a lie. What about your doctor or hospital? For hundreds of thousands of Floridians, the President's health care law didn't let them keep their doctor or hospital either. In the Tampa area, only one of twelve health care plans offered in Florida under the President's health law covered treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in the state

The President's health care law cut Medicare and Medicare Advantage to pay for the nearly trillion dollar price tag. 15 million seniors rely on Medicare Advantage for their care. It is appalling the Obama Administration would knowingly and willingly gut Medicare to pay for a health care law that was poorly written and disastrously implemented.

The Affordable Care Act was supposed to be health care reform that would be the Obama Administration's signature piece of legislation. Instead, the President's health care law is marred by broken promises. My constituents need real health care reform that reduces premiums, provides choice and flexibility, and preserves the health care our seniors rely on. Click here and read more about bipartisan health care proposalsI support to lower costs and increase access to quality health care.


[1] CBO scored the cuts at $500 billion from 2012 - 2021