FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 23, 2010
Contact: Erikka Knuti (202) 603-4600; .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
“Pledge to America” Misleads on Health Care
Call for repeal based on false claims about the new health care law
Washington, D.C. – The Health Information Center rebutted the false claims about the new health care law contained within the “Pledge to America.” The document, which pledges to repeal the Affordable Care Act, outlines the case for repeal using misleading talking points, failing to offer a single citation, or sourcing any of their claims.
“Today is just the first taste many Americans are getting of the new health care law,” said HIC President, Andrew Grossman. “The public has wanted the changes that went into effect for decades, and finally they are in place. These changes make insurance more fair, and offer peace of mind. And they aren't going to let a bunch of politicians repeal them as part of a cheap political stunt.”
HIC was recently established to provide information and address misconceptions about the new health care law. Confusion and misinformation have left the public uncertain about the facts of this law. Unfortunately, the “Pledge to America” does nothing to help the public understand the facts about the changes in the health care system. HIC responded to each rhetoric-based claim made in the pledge to repeal, with the following facts about the Affordable Care Act.
Jobs: Without the new law, small business owners would have shed jobs at a rate of 178,000 per year by 2018.
Source: Jonathan Gruber, Small Business Majority, “The Economic Impact of Healthcare Reform on Small Business,” June 11, 2009.
Costs: By lowering administrative costs and creating a more efficient care delivery system, premiums could go down as much as “$2,000 per family by 2019.”
Source: Commonwealth Fund, September 23, 2010.
Deficits and Debts: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the non-partisan budget office, has determined that health care reform will save money, reducing the deficit by $138 billion over the next decade and by $1.3 trillion in the decade after. In fact, repealing the law would increase the deficit by $455 million over the next 10 years
Sources: The Washington Post, July 1, 2010; CBO, http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/118xx/doc11820/CrapoLtr.pdf
Taxes: By 2014, an estimated 28.6 million people will be eligible for premium health care tax credits. The total annual value of these cuts is $110.1 billion.
Source:“Lower Taxes, Lower Premiums: The New Health Insurance Tax Credit,” Families USA, September 2010.
Seniors: Free access to preventive care and prescription drug cost assistance — including a $250 credit to help cover the cost of the infamous prescription drug donut hole — will help seniors, not hurt them.
Sources: "Health Care Reform Explained: The New Health Care Law and Extending the Life of Medicare While Saving Money," AARP Bulletin, 8/30/10
If you like it…you can’t keep it: The government is not going to make anyone who likes their plan change their plan. The health care bill does not force anyone to change plans if they don’t want to.
Source: PolitiFact.com, 1/27/10
Abortion: To be clear, health care reform limits federal subsidies for abortion coverage to instances of rape and incest or to save the life of the mother.
Sources: https://www.britannica.com/science/abortion-pregnancy and Politifact.
Earlier this month, HIC launched “America’s Fair Health Care” to provide resources and information about the law’s implementation. HIC is a non-partisan, non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public about the Affordable Care Act.
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"Under new plans, no child under age 19 will be denied coverage for a pre-existing conditions, period. Adults who have been without insurance for six months and who have been unable to obtain insurance because of a pre-existing condition, can apply for coverage under the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP)."
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Insurers can no longer cut someone after the fact.
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New screening procedures are now in place for health care providers to eliminate fraud and waste in the health care system.
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Medicare Part D enrollees who hit the Medicare prescription drug benefit gap in 2010 will automatically receive a $250 rebate check.
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Effective immediately, qualified small employers get tax credits of up to 35% of premiums for offering coverage.
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America's new health care law makes it easier for you to find the quality, affordable health care that you and your family need.
