subject: Graham Pledges to Repeal, Replace "Obamacare" [print this page] Graham Pledges to Repeal, Replace "Obamacare"
Sen. Lindsey Graham says Obamacare will be a disaster for South Carolina if it's allowed to be completely implemented in 2014, so he's going to introduce legislation to repeal and replace the health care law.
His plan would allow states to opt out of the requirement for employers to provide health insurance, opt out of the requirement that every individual have health insurance and opt out of the states' requirement to expand Medicaid.
He says large employers are already looking at dropping health insurance for their employees because the fines they would pay for not providing coverage are lower than the cost of the coverage.
"You think it's hard right now to get a job in South Carolina? Increase health care costs for employers throughout the state and see how many additional jobs are created," he said.
Instead of the Obama health care plan, Graham says under his plan, "The government would buy policies for every Medicaid recipient and their family in the private sector to give them better access to health care."
Speaking at an oncology center in Columbia that sees about 850 patients a day, Sen. Graham said the Obama health care law will expand Medicaid, which will limit patients' choices. At the oncology center where he spoke, 7-8 percent of its patients are on Medicaid. Graham says under Obamacare, 29-30 percent of the people coming to the oncology center would be on Medicaid.
Oncologist Dr. Bart Witherspoon says, "If you lose money on 6 percent of the people, but you make it up on the other 94 percent, you can stay in business. If you lose money on 30 percent of the people, then obviously you're out of business."
Graham says his replacement plan would include parts of the Obama health care law. He likes that it allows parents to keep a child on their health insurance until they turn 26, requires insurance companies to cover someone despite a pre-existing condition and eliminates lifetime limits.
But he says the rest, scheduled to go into effect in 2014, will bankrupt the state. The Medicaid expansion, for example, will cost the state $1 billion over seven years.
He asks, "Does that billion dollars come from higher taxes at a time when we need lower taxes to keep our businesses here in South Carolina? Does that billion dollars of Medicaid matching requirement come from cutting education and other vital services?"
But the White House says the health care law will not cost jobs or raise taxes because it provides tax credits to help small businesses provide health insurance and tax credits for families to be able to afford coverage.
Graham had a large "Citizens' Prescription to Repeal and Replace Obamacare" pad that he and Dr. Witherspooon signed, a petition he says he'll take around the state to get signed and will then take to the Senate floor.
