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CBO: Democrats' Trillion Dollar Health Care Overhaul Now Costs Nearly $1.8 Trillion

New Analysis by Independent Scorekeeper Highlights Budget Gimmicks Democrats Used to Pass Law

Tuesday, March 13, 2012 

When the Democrats' health care bill was signed into law, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that it would increase spending on Medicaid and taxpayer-funded health insurance subsidies by $938 billion between 2010 and 2019.  However, as Republicans repeatedly pointed out, this actually hid the true costs of the health care law, because the Medicaid expansion and health insurance exchange subsidies are not scheduled to begin until 2014, five years into CBO's mandated 10-year budget window.

Today, CBO released updated information which predicts the Democrats' health care overhaul will actually cost nearly $1.8 trillion between 2012 and 2022, CBO's new budget window.  Once the Medicaid expansion and exchange subsidies are fully in place, the Democrats' health care law is certain to top more than $2 trillion.  Americans were right to be concerned that the country cannot afford the Democrats' risky experiment – it can't. 

Employers across the Nation Support Republican Reforms to Unemployment Insurance Wednesday, February 01, 2012  Today, groups representing thousands of employers across the nation wrote a letter in support of the unemployment insurance reforms Republicans included in H.R. 3630, “The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act,” that help the unemployed get back into the workforce, promote state flexibility and avoid tax increases on employers.  Currently, H.R. 3630 is pending in a conference committee charged with resolving differences between the House and Senate on this bill to extend the payroll tax holiday, unemployment insurance benefits, Medicare physicians payment fix and other items.    In the letter, the groups wrote: “Employers across the country are experiencing dramatic increases in their tax burden related to unemployment compensation, including state experience rate increases, state solvency taxes, assessments to pay for interest on outstanding loans, increases in federal unemployment taxes, and debt service payments in support of bonds and other financing to pay off large outstanding state debts. This increased financial burden has a deleterious effect on economic recovery by increasing the cost of employment and making it more difficult for employers to add jobs. Extensions in unemployment related provisions should not result in further increases in taxes to be paid by employers.”   The full letter  February 1, 2012 The Honorable Dave Camp Chairman Conference Committee on HR 3630 U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Max Baucus Vice Chairman Conference Committee on HR 3630 United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Camp and Vice Chairman Baucus: We are writing in support of the unemployment compensation reforms included in HR 3630, the “Middle Class Tax  Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011” as it was passed by the House of Representatives on December 13, 2011. We also  support measures to preserve state flexibility and to avoid additional taxes. In particular, we support:  Provisions within Part 1 of Subtitle B – Unemployment Compensation that assure consistent job search,  reemployment services, state flexibility, and improvements in program integrity;  Enactment of Section 2165 to remove restrictions on state flexibility;  Assuring that any extension of special extended benefit relaxed “look back” provisions in Section 2143 do not  result in further deficits in state or federal accounts supported by taxes paid by employers. Employers across the country are experiencing dramatic increases in their tax burden related to unemployment  compensation, including state experience rate increases, state solvency taxes, assessments to pay for interest on  outstanding loans, increases in federal unemployment taxes, and debt service payments in support of bonds and other  financing to pay off large outstanding state debts. This increased financial burden has a deleterious effect on economic  recovery by increasing the cost of employment and making it more difficult for employers to add jobs. Extensions in  unemployment related provisions should not result in further increases in taxes to be paid by employers. The focus of legislation should be to promote work, job creation and flexibility at the state level to assist unemployed  workers in returning to work and enabling employers to create jobs and hire workers. We urge your support of these important UI reforms addressed in HR 3630. American Staffing Association Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Associated Industries of Arkansas Associated Industries of Florida California Association of Hospitals & Health Systems – Unemployment Insurance Division California Chamber of Commerce Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry Colorado Hospital Association Shared Services Connecticut Business & Industry Association Georgia Association of Manufacturers Illinois Chamber of Commerce Indiana Chamber of Commerce Indiana Manufacturers’ Association Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Michigan Chamber of Commerce Michigan Manufacturers Association Missouri Chamber of Commerce National Federation of Independent Business Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry New Jersey Business & Industry Association New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce North Carolina Chamber of Commerce Ohio Chamber of Commerce Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry The Association of Commerce & Industry New Mexico The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii The Kansas Chamber The Maryland Chamber of Commerce The State Chamber of Oklahoma Virginia Chamber of Commerce UWC – Strategic Services cc: House Speaker John Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,  Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnel