Healthcare Costs Will Increase
Tammy Baldwin Claimed ObamaCare Would Lower The Cost Of Healthcare

When liberal U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin cast one of the deciding votes for Barack Obama’s job-killing healthcare law, she promised the legislation would lower healthcare costs for families in Wisconsin, but instead these costs have skyrocketed.   

Since this legislation has been signed into law, healthcare costs have risen by 9 percent and the average Wisconsinite is now paying $132 more for health insurance.  

Additionally, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently found that the healthcare law will now cost $2.6 trillion, twice as much as what Baldwin and her fellow Democrats promised it would cost. 

“Tammy Baldwin promised that ObamaCare would lower healthcare costs, but due to her burdensome law, Wisconsinites are now paying an additional $132 for health insurance,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Lance Trover.  “This is another reminder that Baldwin would rather rubberstamp Barack Obama’s tax-and-spend policies into law instead of standing up for the hard-working people of Wisconsin.”

BACKGROUND …. 

Tammy Baldwin Promised That ObamaCare Would Lower The Cost Of Healthcare

Baldwin Said ObamaCare Would Make Health Care More Affordable. Baldwin: “I am proud to have helped pass legislation that will bring access to health care to tens of thousands of Wisconsinites. With tonight’s passage of the reconciliation bill, we made the first of many improvements: making health care more affordable, closing the Medicare doughnut hole, and ensuring equity for Wisconsinites. But our work is not done. I will continue to work tirelessly to make sure that quality, affordable health care is accessible to all Americans.” (Rep. Tammy Baldwin, “Statement On House Passage Of Final Health Care Reform Reconciliation Bill,” Press Release, 3/25/10) 

Baldwin Said ObamaCare Would “Reign In Soaring Health Care Costs.” Baldwin: “‘This bill is crucial for our economy,’ said Congresswoman Baldwin. ‘In order to get our economy back on track, creating jobs again, we must bring down our mounting national deficit and lower costs for small businesses. This bill does that. It’s fully paid for, it will rein in soaring health care costs; and it cuts the deficit by $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years, all while expanding and improving health care coverage for millions of American families,’ Baldwin explained. ‘Health care reform will extend coverage to 95% of Americans, 32 million more people, stop insurance company abuses, and lower health care costs for families and small businesses. It’s good for our physical health, and it’s absolutely crucial for our nation’s fiscal health,’ Baldwin said.” (Rep. Tammy Baldwin, “Baldwin Announces Health Care Reform Cuts Deficit By $1.3 Trillion,” Press Release, 3/18/10) 

Baldwin Said ObamaCare Would Make The Health Care System Less Costly. Baldwin: “The bill the House passed today will cover 35 million Americans who currently have no health insurance. This legislation will end the abusive practices of the insurance companies. Your coverage will no longer be denied because of a pre-existing condition. The bill will end the despicable practice of retroactively cancelling your policy at the moment you most need care. It will place caps on out-of-pocket medical expenses so that families dealing with a serious illness will no longer face the prospect of bankruptcy or financial ruin. And it will offer a multitude of other reforms to make our health care system more efficient, less costly, and more effective in preventing illness, restoring, and maintaining good health for you and you family.” (Rep. Tammy Baldwin, “Statement On Passing The Affordable Health Care For America Act,” Press Release, 11/7/09) 

But The Cost Of Healthcare Has Risen By Nearly 10 Percent

Factcheck.org: ObamaCare “Falls Short Of Making Health Care ‘Affordable And Available To Every Single American,’ As Promised.” “Furthermore, the law falls short of making health care ‘affordable and available to every single American,’ as promised. The law provides subsidies to help some Americans buy insurance, expands Medicaid and doesn’t allow insurance companies to exclude persons with preexisting conditions. But still, the director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected 23 million persons will remain uninsured – some because they can’t afford coverage.” (D’Angelo Gore, “Promises, Promises,” Factcheck.org, 1/4/12)

• Factcheck.org: ObamaCare Is Actually Making Health Care “Less Affordable.” “At the moment, the new law is making health care slightly less affordable. Independent health care experts say the law has caused some insurance premiums to rise. As we wrote in October, the new law has caused about a 1 percent to 3 percent increase in health insurance premiums for employer-sponsored family plans because of requirements for increased benefits. Last year’s premium increases cast even more doubt on another promise the president has made – that the health care law would ‘lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.’” (D’Angelo Gore, “Promises, Promises,” Factcheck.org, 1/4/12)
• The Washington Post ‘s The Fact Checker: “Moreover, at this point it is debatable whether the law has made health care more affordable. Insurance premiums have gone up, in part because of new benefits mandated by the law.” (Glenn Kessler, “The Fine Print In Obama’s ‘Promises Kept’ Ad,” The Washington Post’s ” The Fact Checker,” 1/6/12)

Kaiser Study Found That Costs Of Family Coverage “Climbed” 9 Percent In 2011. “The average cost of a family policy climbed 9 percent in 2011 to $15,073, according to a poll of 2,088 private companies and state and local government agencies by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Menlo Park, California, and the Chicago- based American Hospital Association’s Health Research and Educational Trust.” (Jeffrey Young, “Health-Benefit Costs Rise Most In Six Years,” Bloomberg, 9/27/11)

• Workers Paid An Average Of $132 More For Family Coverage In 2011 Than They Did In 2010. “Although premiums rose, employers kept the percentage of the premium workers pay about the same: An average of 18 percent for single coverage and 28 percent for family plans. Still, with rising costs, workers paid more, up an average of $132 a year for family coverage. Since 1999, the dollar amount workers contribute toward premiums nationally has grown 168 percent, while their wages have grown by 50 percent, according to the survey.” (Julie Appleby, “Cost Of Employer Insurance Plans Surge In 2011,” Kaiser Health News, 9/27/11)

And The CBO Has Updated The Price Tag Of Government-Run Healthcare From $900 Billion To $2.6 Billion

FOX NEWS:  The Congressional Budget Office has extended its cost estimates for President Obama’s health care law out to 2022, taking in more years of full implementation, and showing that the bill is substantially more expensive — twice as much as the original $900 billion price tag.  (Jim Angle, New CBO health law estimate shows much higher spending past first 10 years, Fox News, 03/14/12)