Dangerous to America's Health: The Effects of Republicans' Push to Repeal Health Reform

Today I am releasing a report: "Dangerous to America's Health, the Republican Plan to Dismantle America's Health Care ."

The Affordable Care Act is already providing health coverage to uninsured people with pre-existing conditions and young adults, and lowering drug costs for seniors. In time, it will help millions more. Yet Republicans fought us every step of the way and used every tool - including outright lies -- to try to kill health reform.

The Republicans failed, but they won't give up. Now, they want to refight the battles of the past. Republicans have said that their number one priority next year is to repeal health reform. In fact, a recent poll of rank and file Republicans found that repealing health reform is a more important priority for them than job creation, cutting federal spending, and extending the Bush tax cuts.

Democrats must work to expose how dangerous their agenda would be for America. The report I'm releasing today highlights the negative consequences repeal would have on people's health care now and in the future -- everything from reinstating discrimination against people with preexisting conditions, women, and older individuals; to increasing Medicare fraud and cutting payments to family doctors.

Take a look. The health reform law is making improvements across all sectors of the American health care system, so you may not be aware of the many dangers of repeal. We must be equipped with this information as we prepare to fight Republican efforts to repeal health reform in the coming years.

(Rep. Stark is the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee)