2011 State of the Union address: on Health Care

Barack Obama: Repealing healthcare reform would cost $250B

This means further reducing health care costs, including programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which are the single biggest contributor to our long-term deficit. The health insurance law we passed last year will slow these rising costs, which is part of the reason that nonpartisan economists have said that repealing the health care law would add a quarter of a trillion dollars to our deficit. Still, I'm willing to look at other ideas to bring down costs, including one that Republicans suggested last year--medical malpractice reform to rein in frivolous lawsuits.

Barack Obama: FactCheck: healthcare reform saves $2B to $10B, not $250B

The truth is that this largely remains to be seen. Many of the cost-saving measures the president has touted are untested, such as changes in the way care is delivered, new payment models and pilot projects that some experts applaud, and others question.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office expects that for most Americans, who get their insurance through work, health insurance premium costs won't change significantly from what they would have been without the law. CBO estimated that the major parts will cost $10 billion over the 2010-2019 period, while Medicare's Office of the Actuary determined savings of only $2 billion.

Overall, Medicare's chief actuary expects total spending on health care to rise over 10 years--but that's because about 34 million persons will gain health care coverage.

Michele Bachmann: ObamaCare replaces finest system with government coverage

Obamacare mandates and penalties may even force many job creators to just stop offering health insurance altogether, unless of course yours is one of the more-than-222 privileged companies or unions that has already received a government waiver under Obamacare. In the end, unless we fully repeal Obamacare, a nation that currently enjoys the world's finest health care might be forced to rely on government-run coverage. That could have a devastating impact on our national debt for even generations to come.

The president should repeal Obamacare and support free-market solutions, like medical malpractice reform and allowing all Americans to buy any healthcare policy they like anywhere in the United States.

Michele Bachmann: FactCheck: pre-ObamaCare system was 49th, not best in world

First, the law doesn't create a government-run system. Instead, it builds on our current system and adds a lot of new business for private insurers. Second, some studies on the quality of care worldwide have not put the US at the top. A 2010 Commonwealth Fund study ranked the US last among seven countries in health system performance. In other health outcome measures, the US ranks 49th in life expectancy, according to the CIA World Factbook, and plenty of other countries have lower rates of infant mortality.

Paul Ryan: FactCheck: costs go up just a bit; jobs go down just a bit

Health care spending overall is expected to rise a bit--by less than 1% over a decade. That's because about 34 million more Americans will gain coverage. As for "millions" losin their current coverage, there's truth to that, but context is required. about 8 million low-income workers will get subsidies to go buy their own insurance in state-based exchanges.

Ryan backed his claim about stifling job creation with a CBO report. CBO said the law would have a small impact on the labor supply, and that would be mostly due to workers retiring early or working less because they would have more secure health care options.

Paul Ryan: FactCheck: No evidence that healthcare reform explodes debt

The law is actually expected to reduce the deficit, according to the CBO, over the next two decade and beyond. It remains to be seen whether all of the cost-cutting measures will be fully implemented. But we went through various Republican claims about the supposed flaws in CBO's analysis and found the GOP assertions to be mostly bogus.

Paul Ryan: Open-ended healthcare entitlement moves US toward bankruptcy

Businesses and unions from around the country are asking the Obama Administration for waivers from the mandates. Washington should not be in the business of picking winner and losers. The President mentioned the need for regulatory reform to ease the burden on American businesses. We agree--and we think his health care law would be a great place to start.

Last week, House Republicans voted for a full repeal of this law, as we pledged to do, and we will work to replace it with fiscally responsible, patient-centered reforms that actually reduce costs and expand coverage. The President's law is accelerating our country toward bankruptcy.