U.S. CONGRESSMAN PAUL C. BROUN, M.D. 10th Congressional District of Georgia

During the health care debate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said we must pass the bill to find out what’s in it.   Six months later, the American people are finding out the law is falling short of its promises. For example:

• Health insurance companies have announced premiums are expected to increase by as much as 20 percent next year. 

• 1 in 5 seniors could lose their Medicare Part D plan.

• 1 out of 2 Americans who receive health care from their employers will lose it.

• Health insurance companies announced they will stop offering child-only policies due to uncertainty caused by the health care law.

• CMS economists announced that health care costs will increase by $311 billion and government spending on health care will rise to 21% of GDP by 2019.

• Fifty percent of seniors will lose their Medicare Advantage plans.

• Doctors may drop out of Medicare because of the changes in Medicare reimbursement rates.

Sixty one percent of Americans support repealing Obamacare, and I have fought to translate their ideas into legislation. In addition to introducing a bill to repeal Obamacare, I am working with the American Center for Law and Justice, a public interest law firm protecting constitutional freedoms, to submit an Amicus Brief in support of a legal challenge brought by 20 states (including Georgia) challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare. The Amicus Brief demonstrates that Congress lacks the authority under the Constitution’s Commerce Clause to impose Obamacare’s individual mandate. 

I understand our nation’s health care financing system is broken.  Unfortunately, the recently-signed health care law does not address the rising cost of health care, but rather it throws taxpayers’ dollars at it.  It is critical we do no more harm and repeal the unconstitutional law.  However, once repealed, I stand ready to implement real, commonsense reforms that lower the cost of health care and increase accessibility for everyone.