[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18396-18397]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       THE NEW YEAR OF OBAMACARE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McClintock) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, a great tragedy is now unfolding across 
America as we prepare for the new year.
  Millions of Americans are losing their health plans. Millions more 
are facing staggering price increases. Millions more are having their 
hours cut back at work or seeing their salaries pared back because of 
ObamaCare.
  Sadly, this is just the beginning. In coming days, millions of 
employer-provided plans face cancelation, multiplying this disaster 
many fold.
  The administration recently held a contest for videos to promote 
ObamaCare. Its grand prize winner featured this message: Don't worry 
about the price tag. Don't worry about the price tag? Isn't that 
helpful and compassionate advice to the millions of Americans who are 
struggling through the fifth year of Obamanomics and who are now also 
facing the reality of seeing their premiums doubling or tripling.

[[Page 18397]]

  Just don't worry about the price tag, skip the House payment, and 
cough up the extra cash. That is the best that this administration can 
offer? Many millions of Americans who had health coverage on New Year's 
Eve will not have it on New Year's Day because of ObamaCare.
  What awaits those who actually can sign up? According to the 
government's own numbers, about two-thirds of exchange applicants have 
been forced into Medicaid. That includes many on limited incomes who 
have maintained bare-bones policies because they are desperately trying 
to stay out of Medicaid. Some have found that nearly by looking at 
prices they have ended up trapped in this dreaded welfare program.
  A major study documents that Medicaid patients have worse health 
outcomes than those without any insurance. If you doubt that, just see 
how long it will take you to see a Medicaid doctor, if you can find 
one, for a bad cold.
  If you are a part of the one in three exchange visitors who escaped 
this fate, the next problem will be to find a doctor--any doctor. The 
president of the California Medical Association reports that 70 percent 
of California doctors will not accept ObamaCare patients. That means 
the remaining 30 percent will be overwhelmed, resulting in life-
threatening waiting lines.
  As patients desperately seek doctors in emergency rooms, actual 
emergencies will go waiting. Top-flight specialized doctors and 
facilities will become increasingly inaccessible as they opt out of the 
system.
  Those patients who actually can get an appointment may then discover 
that there is no record of their policy because the government hasn't 
been able to connect patients with their new insurers. Patients will 
next face the cold reality of sky-high deductibles and copayments that 
many will be unable to pay. Many hospitals that serve large populations 
of the poor can only do so because of supplemental payments, but 
ObamaCare is phasing those out. Some may be forced to close their 
doors.
  Those ObamaCare patients fortunate enough to stay well in this brave 
new world can expect a highly elevated risk of identity theft in what 
the founder of McAfee Security Software calls a ``hacker's dream.'' And 
there is no need to wait for hackers. In some cases, the government has 
already accidentally released patients' private financial and medical 
information.
  Since so many people--particularly the young--are choosing not to pay 
inflated prices to subsidize others, we can expect another major round 
of rate increases next fall on those remaining in the system in order 
to make up the shortfalls.
  That is what the new year will bring to our country. Many of us in 
the House warned of this coming train wreck, and we tried at least to 
delay it. For this, we were called arsonists, terrorists, jihadists, 
and demagogues; but now those warnings have proven chillingly and 
entirely accurate.
  This program has devastated the lives of millions of Americans. This 
damage now cannot be undone by delaying it or tinkering with it. It 
must be repealed and replaced with the patient-centered plan proposed 
by House Republicans, a plan guided by individual freedom of choice and 
open competition.
  This will only happen if there is a massive change of heart by the 
congressional Democrats who imposed this nightmare on our country. Now 
is the time for all Americans whose lives have been upended by their 
folly to share their stories with their Representatives and to pray 
that they actually can touch some hearts and change some minds during 
this holiday season. Otherwise, I am afraid that New Year's Day will be 
nothing to celebrate.

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