Heath Shuler refused to repeal failed Obamacare

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of the Democrats’ trillion-dollar government takeover of healthcare. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the ironically-named Affordable Healthcare for America Act. Unfortunately for North Carolina families, healthcare costs have increased and coverage has been cut since its passage.

Despite overwhelming evidence that government-run healthcare has failed to lower medical costs, contributed at least a trillion dollars in new spending, and will potentially cost America 800,000 jobs, Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) refused to vote to repeal it two months ago. (House Vote #14, 1/19/2011)

• Heath Shuler: ‘We need to be working together to address the very real health care challenges before us by keeping the portions of the law that work and fixing the portions that don’t.’” (Bill Theobald, “Heath Shuler votes against GOP repeal of health law,” Gannett Washington Bureau, 1/20/2011)

What exactly is it that Shuler thinks is working in ObamaCare: the job losses, higher costs and lost coverage for small businesses and families?

• North Carolina Job Losses? “Partly as a result of the reform, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has already announced layoffs and plans to cut its administrative budget.” (The Herald-Sun, 12/31/2010)

• Increase Cost? “Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina filed a rate request for an increase of 6.97 percent for Blue Advantage and 2.06 percent for Blue Options HSA plans… Rate increases for Blue Advantage plans Changes as a result of health care reform mean some customers younger than 26 will see a smaller increase or even a decrease in their premium for 2011 while others will see a larger increase.” (The Asheville Citizen-Times, 8/31/2010)