Ann Marie Buerkle: “I thank the gentleman from Georgia for being here this evening. Mr. Speaker, as my colleague mentioned, the President's…”

“I thank the gentleman from Georgia for being here this evening. Mr. Speaker, as my colleague mentioned, the President's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which became law in March of 2010, included some welcome provisions, such as allowing people to stay on their parents' insurance until the age of 26 and prohibiting insurers from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions. These positive provisions, which proponents quickly point to when facing criticism, are far outweighed by the negative consequences that the Affordable Care Act has on our providers and the health care system. These measures could have been accomplished in a much simpler manner. I say to you, Mr. Speaker, so many roads are paved with good intentions, but the unintended consequences are devastating to our hospitals. As a health care professional, my opposition to the Affordable Care Act has never been solely based on philosophical grounds, but on strategic and tactical ones. Most Americans--myself included and my colleagues here in Congress--recognize that health care needs to be reformed and that health care costs continue to rise. We need to figure this out. We disagree as to what the health care reform should look like. If I thought that the Federal Government could be the necessary agent of change, that would be one thing; but I don't believe the government can change health care. The Affordable Care Act affects our hospitals and our providers.…”