Smith: Casey Supported ObamaCare Tax

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SMITH: TIME TO REPEAL AND REPLACE

PITTSBURGH – Tom Smith, candidate for United States Senate released the following statement after the United States Supreme Court voted to uphold President Obama’s signature health-care law:

"Today’s unfortunate decision strengthens our resolve to defeat Senator Casey and President Obama in order to repeal and replace a disastrous law that has ballooned the debt, increased the cost of insurance and eroded freedoms," said Smith. "Healthcare decisions should be made by doctors, patients and their families, not by government bureaucrats. In the Senate, I will fight to see ObamaCare repealed and replaced with commonsense free market reforms that reduce cost, increase access, and promote the quality and innovation that has made our healthcare system the envy of the world."

"Sadly, as Pennsylvania families have suffered from stagnant unemployment and future generations have continued to be buried under record debt, Senator Casey and Barack Obama have prioritized defending a failed government takeover of healthcare. Americans deserve elected leaders who place the needs of their constituents over their own political agendas," Smith added.

BACKGROUND:

BOB CASEY CHAMPIONED OBAMACARE

Casey: "No One In The Senate Has Worked Harder Than I Have To Get This Done." CASEY: "But I also voted to get the bill out of the committee, and I want to get health-care legislation passed. No one in the Senate has worked harder than I have to get this done, and we will get it done." (MSBNC, 12/7/09)

OBAMACARE HAS COST TAXPAYERS AND HEALTHCARE CONSUMERS

The Heritage Foundation Estimates From 2014 to 2020 ObamaCare Will Cost Pennsylvania An Additional $543.5 Million. (Edmund Haislmaier and Brian Blasé, "Obamacare: Impact On States," The Heritage Foundation, 7/1/10)

"The cost of health insurance for many Americans this year climbed more sharply than in previous years, outstripping any growth in workers’ wages and adding more uncertainty about the pace of rising medical costs." ("U.S. Health Insurance Cost Rises Sharply, Study Finds," The New York Times , 9/27/11)

ObamaCare Will Increase Spending More Than If Health Care Reform Had Not Been Enacted. "Spending will jump 7.4 percent to $3.13 trillion in 2014 when the law will begin to extend subsidized coverage through private health insurance and the Medicaid program. (Jeffrey Young, "Health Care Reform Boosts Spending A Tiny Fraction While Covering Millions," The Huffington Post, 6/12/12)

The Health Care Share Of GDP By 2021 Is Projected To Rise To 19.6 Percent, From Its 2010 Level Of 17.9 Percent. (Chris Fleming, "Health Spending Growth Projected To Average 5.7 Percent Annually Through 2021," Health Affairs, 6/12/12)

ObamaCare Will Increase "Private Health Insurance Spending To 7.9 Percent. "The Affordable Care Act is also expected to influence growth rates for the major payers, with a rise in private health insurance spending to 7.9 percent and a decrease in individual out-of-pocket spending by 1.5 percent." (Chris Fleming, "Health Spending Growth Projected To Average 5.7 Percent Annually Through 2021," Health Affairs, 6/12/12)

OBAMACARE HAS FAILED TO INCREASE ACCESS AS PROMISED

CBO Director Douglas W. Elmendorf: People Receiving Coverage Through Their Employer Will Be Lower Than Had ObamaCare Never Been Enacted. "On balance, the number of people obtaining coverage through their employer will be about 1 million lower in 2019 through 2021 under PPACA and the Reconciliation Act than under prior law, CBO and JCT estimate." (Douglas W. Elmendorf, "Subcommittee On Health Committee On Energy And Commerce, U.S. House Of Representatives, Testimony," 3/30/11)
• Employees Will Be Forced Out Of Their Current Insurance Plans. "Moderating this growth in private health insurance, some large employers with low-wage employees are expected to discontinue health insurance benefits for their employees and to instead pay the penalty associated with not providing coverage under the Affordable Care Act." ("National Health Expenditure Projections: Modest Annual Growth Until Coverage Expands And Economic Growth Accelerates," Health Affairs, no. (2012)
The Non-Partisan CBO Found That ObamaCare Could Cause As Many As 20 Million Americans To Lose Their Employer-Provided Health Care Plan. "As many as 20 million Americans could lose their employer-provided healthcare because of President Obama’s healthcare reform law, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said in a new report Thursday." ("CBO: Millions Of Americans Could Lose Their Employer Coverage," The Hill’s "Health Watch," 3/15/12)

"A Report By McKinsey & Co. Has Found That 30% Of Employers Are Likely To Stop Offering Workers Health Insurance After The Bulk Of The Obama Administration’s Health Overhaul Takes Effect In 2014." ("Study Sees Cuts to Health Plans," The Wall Street Journal, 6/8/11)

Survey Found That Only 60 Percent Of Employers Offered Medical Coverage This Year, A 9 Percent Decrease From 2010. "Sixty percent of employers said they offered medical benefits this year, a decrease from 69 percent in 2010." ("Health-Benefit Costs Rise Most In Six Years," Bloomberg, 9/27/11)."

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