The truth is, The Affordable Care Act is not reasonable reform, but an attempt to increase the role of government at the expense of private insurers and healthcare providers. Medicare will face $716 billion in cuts by 2014 when the Affordable Care Act goes into full implementation. Healthcare services and access will be greatly reduced as healthcare professionals find it impossible to stay in business due to these cuts.

Simply stated, an increase in government involvement in the American people’s healthcare decisions does little to serve the interests of the people. Instead, practical, step-by-step measures should be implemented that would reform the system and provide greater access and affordability. An overhaul of healthcare is simply a takeover. This is not reform.

Some elements of the existing health care law are good. These would include not denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, allowing children to remain on a parent’s insurance plan until they are 26 years of age, and maintaining the medicare prescription drug “donut hole” fix. However, these are only a few reasonable proposals within a multi-thousand page bill that has more to do with expanding government bureaucracy than helping the people of our nation.

Real reform should allow the competitive selling of insurance plans across state lines. This would break the government-sanctioned monopoly of insurance carriers in specific regions and states. Rational Tort Reform can further control costs by allowing for patient’s rights yet eliminating frivolous lawsuits that drive up the cost of healthcare through expensive malpractice fees.

Healthcare reform is a priority for the United States. The Affordable Care Act, passed by the Democrats in Congress in 2009 with Dan Maffei’s help, is not true reform. At present, there are over 1300 waivers that have been granted by the Federal Government to companies, unions, and municipalities that are aligned with the political authors of this act. This is not a fair application of U.S. law. If the Affordable Care Act is good law, why should waivers be granted to anyone?

Congresswoman Buerkle voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and will continue to vote to defund it.

Click here to read More on where Ann Marie Buerkle stands on Health Care