[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9578]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              ER VISITS INCREASING AS A RESULT OF THE ACA

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, imagine you have a medical emergency, you 
show up at the emergency department of your hospital, and you are 
treated in the waiting room. That is exactly what is happening in 
hospitals all over America. Overcrowding has become a reality.
  A recent report by the American College of Emergency Medicine showed 
that more than half of all ER doctors have reported this trend. It is 
ironic that the main pillar of the Affordable Care Act, which was an 
increase in patients' access to care, is exactly the opposite of what 
is happening.
  We are having a hearing on Thursday in the Energy and Commerce 
Subcommittee on Health. I am looking forward to it. We will discuss the 
impact of the President's health care law on access to health care.
  It is my sincere hope that the administration is cooperative and 
forthcoming as we investigate yet another aspect of the Affordable Care 
Act that instead of helping is hurting patients, doctors, and hospitals 
and putting a strain on our system.

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