Dem Medicare Plan Threatens Access to Care, Just Like ObamaCare

NRCC - A new survey out Monday offers additional proof that the Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare will cause at least 30 percent of employers to “definitely or probably” drop healthcare coverage for their employees.

“Once provisions of the Affordable Care Act start to kick in during 2014, at least three of every 10 employers will probably stop offering health coverage, a survey released Monday shows.

“While only 7% of employees will be forced to switch to subsidized-exchange programs, at least 30% of companies say they will ‘definitely or probably’ stop offering employer-sponsored coverage, according to the study published in McKinsey Quarterly.

“The survey of 1,300 employers says those who are keenly aware of the health-reform measure probably are more likely to consider an alternative to employer-sponsored plans, with 50% to 60% in this group expected to make a change. It also found that for some, it makes more sense to switch.” (Russ Britt, “Firms Halting Coverage as Reform Starts: Survey 30% of Companies Say They’ll Stop Offering Health Plans,” Market Watch, 6/6/2011)

These reports follow admissions from Obama Administration officials that their government takeover of healthcare would not necessarily allow Americans to keep their healthcare plans, contrary to promises from President Obama himself:

CMS ACTUARY RICK FOSTER: “For businesses that have relatively low-income workers, it can turn out to be a win-win for them to drop their former coverage and assist their employees into getting coverage through the exchange.” (CMS Chief Actuary Rick Foster, testifying before the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, 3/30/2011)

JOEL ARIO, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: “Big companies may eventually look to dump their employees onto new state-run health insurance markets in the future if a key aspect of healthcare reform turns out to be successful, an Obama administration health official predicted Tuesday morning.” (Jason Millman, "HHS Official: Employers May Gradually Move to Exchanges," The Hill, 3/29/2011)

PRESIDENT OBAMA, 2009: “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.” (Mary Lu Carnevale, “Obama: ‘If You Like Your Doctor, You Can Keep Your Doctor’,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/15/2009)

After breaking their promise not to endanger Americans’ access to the care they choose, Democrats are preparing to do it again. President Obama’s plan to bankrupt Medicare empowers a board of unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats to make healthcare decisions about the types of coverage available to seniors. This plan could endanger seniors’ access to the care they choose, much as ObamaCare did:

WSJ: OBAMA MEDICARE PLAN IS MEDICARE “RATIONING”, WILL “THROW GRANNY OVER THE CLIFF”: “One place to start is by attacking the Democratic plan to cut Medicare via political rationing. Mr. Ryan's budget had the virtue of embarrassing President Obama's spend-more initial budget, and the White House responded by proposing to increase the power of the new Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) to decide what, and how much, Medicare will pay for. The ObamaCare bill goes to great lengths to shelter this 15-member, unelected board from Congressional review, with the goal of letting these bureaucrats throw granny over the cliff if Medicare isn't reformed. Yet few Americans know anything about IPAB or its rationing intentions.” (Editorial, “The GOP’s New York Spanking,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/26/2011)