On the recordMarch 16, 2010
From The Cincinnati Enquirer to The Washington Post, the editorials today tell the Democrats to stop this health care reform and start again. I agree because I've always based my work on health care on increasing access. This bill fails at increasing overall access. The Senate bill expands Medicaid to cover families earning up to 133 percent of poverty level. The Medicaid rolls will explode under this proposal. But what does that mean? Some 40 percent of family practice physicians currently do not accept Medicaid patients. This is expected to increase to 60 percent. Some 60 percent of specialists currently do not accept Medicaid patients. This is expected to skyrocket to 80 percent. This bill expands Medicaid beyond its capacity to absorb patients, it cuts Medicare for seniors, and leaves malpractice tort reform untouched and skyrocketing costs in place. This bill has the potential to bankrupt rural hospitals that have a disproportionate share of the problems inherent in the bill. This adds up to less access and lower quality. That is not reform.
