Obamacare failure now evident as health care costs rise nationwide

Wednesday, May 18, 2011 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: Obamacare, health care costs, health news

(NaturalNews) President Barack Obama's signature health care law was supposed to accomplish a couple of things. First, it was supposed to ensure that all Americans had access to quality healthcare; and second, it was supposed to reduce overall healthcare expenditures.

In a word, the law - while admittedly not yet fully implemented - has not led to either goal, and in fact, costs overall are skyrocketing.

These claims were substantiated in a recent subcommittee hearing of the House Education and Workforce Committee. Brett Parker, a finance officer for a small business in New York City, in testimony before the subcommittee, said the law hasn't "locked in costs, and instead increased them, while loading job creators with mandates, regulations, new taxes and burdens."

"Rather than solve the problems in the health care system, [the law] ignores costs and instead redistributes money from producers in order to fund vast new entitlements and expand old ones - this was not an improvement over the status quo, it was a step backwards," Parker told lawmakers.

Costs for health insurance, medical services, medicines - all of it - continue to rise, despite the massive piece of legislation that is "Obamacare." And, as they do, all Washington can do is argue over why.

But maybe rising costs shouldn't surprise us. After all, there were a few models on which to base portions of Obamacare before the latter was unfairly put upon Americans more than a year ago.

In Massachusetts, under former governor and prospective GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, a healthcare measure was passed that included an individual mandate (under threat of penalty) and other provisions similar to Obamacare. The law was supposed to accomplish the twin goals of ensuring all state residents and lowering health insurance and actual costs. "Every uninsured citizen in Massachusetts will soon have affordable health insurance and the costs of health care will be reduced," Romney wrote in The Wall Street Journal. Neither goal reached fruition.

In fact, current Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and current state lawmakers are still dealing with rising healthcare costs. But didn't "RomneyCare" solve those problems?

About as well as Obamacare has solved the nation's healthcare delivery and cost problems.

The keys to lowering your healthcare costs remain the same as they always have: you've got to improve your lifestyle. That starts with a better diet, getting enough exercise, a good regimen of supplements, and plenty of rest.

If Washington can't lower your healthcare costs, do it yourself.