[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19577]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




UNDER THE PROPOSED HEALTH CARE PLAN, MEDICAL CARE WILL BECOME EVEN MORE 
                               EXPENSIVE

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, in the early 1990s, I went to a reception in 
Lebanon, Tennessee, and the doctor who delivered me came and brought my 
records. I asked him how much he charged back then, and he said he 
charged $60 for 9 months of care and the delivery if they could afford 
it.
  Before the Federal Government got so heavily involved in medical 
care, medical care was cheap and affordable by almost everyone, and 
doctors even made house calls.
  Then the Federal Government got into the business and costs exploded. 
In fact, the predictions on Medicare and Medicaid, it costs about 10 
times more after 25 years than what was predicted.
  The same thing will happen on the health care plan that is before the 
Congress today. The costs will far exceed the predictions. Medical care 
will become even more expensive and more unaffordable. In fact, Mark 
Levin, the radio commentator, said a few nights ago that it will put 
massive costs over onto the States to expand their Medicare programs, 
and then States like mine of Tennessee, which don't have an income tax, 
will be forced into having one.
  This plan is not good, especially for the poor and lower-income 
people.

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