Voters Face Premium Hikes Thanks To Partisan Health Spending Bill That Sestak Eagerly Rubberstamped In Washington
 
WASHINGTON – With less than 55 days until Election Day, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Democrats’ massive health care overhaul will slam Americans with higher health care costs, contrary to U.S. Representative Joe Sestak’s (D-PA) claims.
 
Health insurers say they plan to raise premiums for some Americans as a direct result of the health overhaul in coming weeks, complicating Democrats’ efforts to trumpet their signature achievement before the midterm elections.
 
Aetna Inc., some BlueCross BlueShield plans and other smaller carriers have asked for premium increases of between 1% and 9% to pay for extra benefits required under the law, according to filings with state regulators.
 
These and other insurers say Congress’s landmark refashioning of U.S. health coverage, which passed in March after a brutal fight, is causing them to pass on more costs to consumers than Democrats predicted.
 
Additionally, Sestak’s health care bill cuts Medicare by $500 billion, endangers jobs, reduces benefits and raises costs for Pennsylvania seniors, and could strip more than one million Americans of their health coverage.
 
“This report is yet another reminder that Pennsylvania simply cannot afford liberal Joe Sestak’s broken promises and reckless, partisan Washington agenda,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokeswoman Amber Marchand. “As Sestak’s massive health care overhaul continues to slam Pennsylvanians with higher costs, there’s no doubt voters will elect a fiscally responsible leader in Pat Toomey this November.”
 
Background Information:
 
Sestak Voted For The Democrats’ Massive Health Care Overhaul. (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #165: Motion Agreed To 219-212: R 0-178; D 219-34, 3/21/10, Sestak Voted Yea)
Sestak Touted The Obama-Pelosi-Reid Health Spending Law At A Recent Health Care Fair. ‘“It is the responsibility of those who worked on this effort of securing affordable care for all Americans to now explain to people the ways they can and will benefit,’ said the Congressman. ‘We are providing millions of uninsured Americans with quality, affordable health care, delivering much needed relief to seniors in the form of prescription drug benefits, and offering tax credits to small businesses to enable them to provide coverage for their employees. These initiatives are especially timely after so many working families lost their jobs and savings during the recession.’” (Rep Joe Sestak, “Congressman Sestak Hosts First Healthy Families Resource Fair,” Press Release, 8/7/10)
When Asked If His Vote For The Health Spending Bill Was Difficult, Sestak Replied “No, Not At All.” FOX NEWS: “Congressman Sestak, let’s start with you: Was it a hard vote for you to vote for health care, because a brand new USA Today poll shows that two-thirds of the country says things costs too much.” SESTAK: “No, not at all.” (Fox News’ “Fox And Friends,” 4/1/10)