BURTON: Romney claims on health care are intentionally dishonest and two-faced
From Bill Burton, senior strategist for Priorities USA Action:
“Mitt Romney claims on health care are intentionally dishonest and two-faced. In Massachusetts, Romney imposed a penalty for not purchasing insurance that is twice as large as the federal law that he now attacks. According to Democrats, Republicans and Romney himself, the Massachusetts law was the model for national health insurance reform. Romney’s attacks on health care reform he previously supported show the American people that he is a dishonest politician who will say anything to win an election.”
Background
AP: Romney’s Massachusetts Individual Mandate “Is More Sweeping—And Penalizes The Uninsured More Severely—Than The Federal Law Signed This Year By Obama.” “The state universal health care law Romney signed in 2006 while Massachusetts governor required state residents to get private or government health insurance by 2007, and punished individuals and employers who did not with penalties now exceeding $1,000 per person annually…Yet the Massachusetts mandate is more sweeping - and penalizes the uninsured more severely - than the federal law signed this year by Obama, the Democrat Romney would likely face in 2012 if he won the GOP presidential nomination.” [AP, 12/15/10]
AP: Massachusetts Mandate Requires Uninsured Individuals To Pay $1,068 While The Federal Mandate Penalties “Will Be Lower And Slower To Ramp Up.” “The Massachusetts mandate requires residents to maintain health coverage meeting state-defined requirements. Those who lack coverage for more than 90 days face a penalty. The first year, they were docked an amount equal to the personalexemption on their state income tax. Now they are penalized one-half the cost of the plan they could otherwise afford, which in 2009 was $1,068 for an individual. An even bigger penalty for 2010 will be announced before the end of the year. The federal law similarly requires coverage, but with penalties that will be lower and slower to ramp up. Those who lack coverage when the mandate takes effect in 2014 will be fined either $95 or 1 percent of their adjusted gross income, whichever is greater. In 2015, the penalty will be $325, or 2percent. In 2016, it is $695, or 3 percent of adjusted gross income. Thereafter, it grows based on inflation, as it does in Massachusetts.” [AP, 12/15/10]
Romney On Massachusetts Health Care Reform: If There Are “National Implications And Applicability, That Would Be Wonderful.” According to the Associated Press, “Romney, whose father ran unsuccessfully for the GOP presidential nomination in 1968, said he understood the presidential implications of the health care bill but he didn’t want to talk about them. ‘I have nothing to add to that,’ he said with a laugh. ‘I actually ran with (health care reform) as something that I wanted to do. If there are national implications and applicability, that would be wonderful.’” [AP, 4/5/06]
Paul Ryan: Romney’s Health Care Law “Not that Dissimilar to ObamaCare.” According to the Associated Press, Rep. Paul Ryan said of Romney’s health care program, “It’s not that dissimilar to Obamacare. And you probably know I’m not a big fan of Obamacare.” [The Associated Press, 3/6/11]
Santorum: Romney Healthcare Plan Was “Precursor” To National Law. Politico reported that former Senator Santorum responded to Romney’s healthcare speech by saying, “I greatly respect Governor Romney and admire many of his personal and professional accomplishments, but his work to institute the precursor to national socialized medicine is not one of them. Both Romneycare and Obamacare infringe upon individual freedom and exponentially increase the government’s healthcare cost burden. Romneycare has, in fact, not made healthcare better or saved costs in Massachusetts. It’s done just the opposite.” [Politico, 5/12/11]
Huntsman: Romney Has Little Credibility to Criticize Health Care. According to ABC News, JonHuntsman said of Romney, “If you’re talking about free market health care, the kind we did in Utah, and the kind that is needed in this country, then he has little credibility… Little credibility based on the model that was created in Massachusetts.” [VIDEO, ABC News, 6/22/11]
National Review: Romney “Repeatedly Said That He Sees The Massachusetts Plan As A Model For The Nation And Has UrgedOther States To Copy His Approach.” According to the National Review, “Finally, Romney criticizes Obamacare as a ‘one size fits all’ federal plan, whereas his plan was implemented in only one state… Of course, as governor, Romney didn’t have the power to impose his model outside of his state. He now says that he opposes any national plan, calling for states to experiment with different approaches as the “laboratories of democracy.” That would certainly be an improvement over Obamacare. On the other hand, he has repeatedly said that he sees the Massachusetts plan as amodel for the nation and has urged other states to copy his approach.” [National Review, 12/1/10]
Romney Said Massachusetts Health Care Reform Was A “Great Program” And Was “A Great Opportunity For The Entire Country.” While at the MSNBC Republican Primary debate Mitt Romney was asked “Governor Romney a year ago it seemed you couldn’t wait to tell the world about your health care experiment in Massachusetts. Since then it’s been criticized by conservatives as something HillaryClinton could have devised. You hardly mention it on your website. What’s changed?” Mitt Romney responded “I love it. It’s a fabulous program. I’m delighted in a fact that we in our state worked together across the aisle Republicans and Democrats to find a way to get health care for all of our citizens that’s affordable and that portable. Now I know that there are some people that don’t like it, but when it came time to vote we won 198 to 2. The Heritage Foundation worked on it with us. We had people on both side of the aisle. No I know that there are some people who wonder about it. Senator Kennedy at the signing of the bill, we were all there together he said you know if you got Mitt Romney and Ted Kennedy agreeing to the same bill it means one thing. One of us didn’t read it, but I helped write it. And I knew it well. And this is a country that can get all of our people insured, without a government takeover. Without Hillarycare. Without socialized medicine, instead get the market to do its job. Let people who have health care they can afford. Get the market to do its job, let people have the opportunity to choose policies in the private sector. We didn’t expand government programs, we didn’t raise taxes. There was no Government takeover. The market can work to solve our health care needs. And that’s the great and exciting news and 27 other states are working on health care reform right now. It’s a great program. A great opportunity for the entire country.” [MSNBC Presidential Debate, 5/3/07, 1:01:22]
Romney Said I “Was Able To Put In Place A Plan That Helped Get Health Insurance Premiums Down, And Get All Of Our Citizens Insured. If We Can Do That Nationally, We Help…The Entire Nation.” Romney said, “One is to finally get a grip on the extraordinary increase in the cost of health care. That’s one of the big legacy cost features. I went after that in Massachusetts, was able to put in place a plan that helped get health insurance premiums down, and gets all of our citizens insured. If we can do that nationally, we help not only Michigan and the auto industry, but the entire nation.” [CNN, 1/14/08]
Detroit News: Romney Portrayed Massachusetts Health Care Reform As A “Potential Template For National Reforms.” According to Detroit News, “Romney portrayed the health-care reform passed when he was Massachusetts governor as a potential template for national reforms, and as an example of his governing philosophy. The plan - which mandated that nearly all uninsured residents buy private health insurance while making insurance costs more affordable and aiding low-income residents in paying their costs - was the product of two years of intensivestudy, involving health-care experts, management consultants and complex computer modeling of Massachusetts residents’ behavior, Romney said.” [Detroit News, 12/9/07]
Romney Said Massachusetts Health Care Reform Is A “Model That Worked.” On Meet the Press, Romney said “We have a model that worked. One state in America, my state, was able to put in place a plan that got everybody health insurance, and it did not require a public/government insurance company. That’s the last thing America needs. You know exactly what it is.” [Meet The Press, 6/28/09]
Romney Said That The Massachusetts Plan “Will Be A Model For The Nation.” According to Newsweek, “During a speech in Baltimore on Feb. 2, 2007, Romney outlined his ambitions for the Massachusetts plan. ‘I’m proud of what we’ve done,’ he said. ‘If Massachusetts succeeds in implementing it, then that will be a model for the nation.’ Last month Romney’s dream came true. If Republicans knew what was good for them, they would stop treating it as a nightmare.” [Newsweek, 4/16/10]
The New York Times: Mr. Romney Has Repeatedly Suggested That He Believed That The Massachusetts Program — And In Particular Its Mandate For Individuals To Purchase Health Insurance Plans — Would Be A Good Model For The Rest Of The Country. According to New York Times, “Not exactly. Mr. Romney has repeatedly suggested that he believed that the Massachusettsprogram — and in particular its mandate for individuals to purchase health insurance plans — would be a good model for the rest of the country. During an appearance on ‘Meet the Press’ in December 2007, Mr. Romney said that while he did believed that every state would face different circumstances, his program was ‘a good model for other states.’ ‘I think it’s a good model for other states. Maybe not every state but most, and so what I’d do at the federal level is give every state the same kind of flexibility we got from the federal government as well as some carrots and sticks to actually get all their citizens insured. And I think a lot of states will choose what we did.’ Mr. Romney added that he would not want a policy that would force other states to adopt the Massachusetts model — which Mr. Obama’s health care bill, in some sense, does — but suggested that other states should consider the mandate. ‘So if a state chose a mandate, it wouldn’t bother you?’ asked the host, Tim Russert. ‘I’d think it’s a terrific idea,’ Mr. Romney answered. ‘I think you’re going to find when it’s all said and done, after all these states that are the laboratories of democracy get their chance to try their own plans, those who follow the path that we pursued will find it’s the best path, and we’ll end up with a nation that’s taken a mandate approach.’” [The New York Times, 10/18/11]