[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25795]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. WESTMORELAND asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, this majority has just run a $1.4 
trillion deficit for fiscal year 2009, even as we are told a new health 
care entitlement will reduce red ink by $871 billion over 10 years. But 
let's look at history and what has happened since the government has 
got involved in health care.
  Prior to the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, health care 
inflation ran slightly faster than overall inflation. In the years 
since, medical inflation has climbed 2.5 percent faster than the cost 
increases elsewhere in the economy.
  Let's start with Medicaid. House Ways and Means in 1965 estimated 
that the first 5 years' cost would be $238 million. Instead, it hit 
more than $1 billion, and costs have kept climbing since.
  Let's look at this. In 1965, Medicare, another government program, 
was projected to cost $12 billion by 1990. It cost $110 billion. 
Medicare hospital, 1965 projected 1990 costs, $9 billion; actual cost, 
$67 billion.
  Let's look at history and see what happens when the government gets 
involved.

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