Meuser Highlights Single-Payer Health Care System Cost for Patients, Taxpayers

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09) today participated in a House Budget Committee hearing on the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) recent report: "Key Design Components and Considerations for Establishing a Single-Payer Health Care System." Witnesses from the CBO, including Deputy Director Mark Hadley, testified before committee.

Meuser's line of questioning examined the negative impacts a government-mandated and controlled health care system would have on the choice, quality, and affordability of care for patients, as well as the associated, astronomical costs the American taxpayer would be forced to absorb if the U.S. were to implement such a system.

"In a system with no cost-sharing, such as copayments and premiums, run entirely by the federal government, the only method to generate revenue would be taxes or deficit spending…We know from independent studies this will cost roughly an additional $32 trillion dollars over the next ten years. That's an average of $10,000 per person. A family of four in my district would be paying $40,000 for such a plan…that is simply not sustainable," said Meuser. "A single-payer system would result in minimizing choice, quality would be suspect, and with $10,000 per person in new taxes – certainly not affordable. One can conclude a government-run single-payer system creates a monopoly that would expand the role of the federal government at the expense of patients and taxpayers."

Watch the full clip of Meuser's questioning here.

Background

The CBO is a non-partisan agency that provides Congress cost estimates and analysis on the budgetary effects of legislation. A copy of the CBO report examining the establishment of a single-payer healthcare system in the U.S. can be found here.

Currently, House Democrats have proposed legislation (H.R. 1384) to eliminate competition and choice, and create a government-run monopolistic health care system. This bill has 108 cosponsors, including four representatives from Pennsylvania and ten members of the House Budget Committee.

Rep. Meuser has been a strong advocate for both patients and taxpayers during his time in Congress. As a member of the House Budget Committee, he believes in the responsible spending of taxpayer dollars and has been working with his colleagues on committee on ways to lower our nation's $22 trillion debt. Additionally, he supports efforts to lower drug prices, premiums, and deductibles for patients and to eliminate the practice of "surprise billing."

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