Don Nickles: “I am concerned it will increase costs, I am concerned it will increase regulation, and because it will increase costs…”

“I am concerned it will increase costs, I am concerned it will increase regulation, and because it will increase costs, the number of uninsured will rise. Estimates were made on that bill that it would increase costs 23 percent. That is a big increase. If you increase health care costs 23 percent, you are going to put a lot of people who had insurance in the uninsured category. I think that would be a serious mistake. People who have done their homework on this legislation, and maybe are experts in it, have come out and said, 'We have reviewed this Patients' Bill of Rights and find it severely lacking.' Here is a quote from the Health Care Leadership Council. They said, 'a vote for the Kennedy amendment is a vote for greater involvement by lawyers and bureaucrats in our health care system.'”