A report released this week by the McKinsey Group, consistent with two other recent independent studies, reinforces the reality that too many employers, employees and their families are already facing – health care costs continue to increase because of the new health care law.  This despite repeated promises from President Obama that his current health care overhaul would ensure that… Read more

The federal government's financial condition deteriorated rapidly last year, far beyond the $1.5 trillion in new debt taken on to finance the budget deficit, a USA TODAY analysis shows. The government added $5.3 trillion in new financial obligations in 2010, largely for retirement programs such as Medicare and Social Security. That brings to a record $61.6 trillion the total of… Read more

"Sooner or later, Democrats will have to admit that Medicare cannot keep running as it is — its medical costs are out of control, and a recent report showed its trust fund running out of money in 2024, five years earlier than expected."     A)        The Wall Street Journal B)        The Washington… Read more

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) today wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius expressing deep concerns regarding the lack of transparency and limited communication to small businesses regarding the waiver process. To date, 1,372… Read more

The Obama Administration once again admitted the Democrats' health care law is unworkable, announcing that it has granted more than 1,300 waivers from various portions of the law.  Health plans insuring over 3 million Americans have already been granted special exemptions, even though the most onerous provisions of the law do not begin until 2014.  Ironically, the Health and… Read more

Washington, DC – Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), Health Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-CA) and Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Sam Johnson (R-TX) made the following statement after the release of the Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report. "Today's report makes it clearer than ever that doing nothing is not an option.  The failure to act means… Read more

We are meeting today to hear from four individuals who have experience to share that will inform us as we consider how to reform Medicare payments to physicians.  This is a priority for the Subcommittee as Medicare physician payment rates will be cut by nearly 30% on January 1st unless Congress acts.   The flaws of Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate are well-known to members… Read more

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House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-CA) today announced that the Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing to explore new models for delivering and paying for services that physicians furnish to Medicare beneficiaries.  In what will be the first in a series of hearings on this topic, the Subcommittee will focus on models that have the potential to… Read more

Washington, DC - Upon passage of H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) made the following statement: "Today, Congress took bipartisan action to prevent taxpayers’ funds from being used for abortion.  The tax provisions in the legislation ensure that the long standing Hyde amendment is applied consistently, including in… Read more