Senator Roger Marshall Criticizes ACA Subsidies and Government Spending

Government Shutdown and Political Tactics

• 🏛️ Senator Marshall criticizes Democrats for a "political show shutdown" and voting against military funding, suggesting it's "showbiz" for legacy media and their base.
• 💰 He states that Democrats have "kidnapped the federal government" and are demanding a ransom of an additional $1.5 trillion added to the national debt.

Issues with the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

• 💸 The Democrats' current focus is on "throwing more money at a very broken ACA," which covers 24 million people.
• 🏥 Marshall highlights the hypocrisy of Democrats wanting to help rural hospitals while proposing to remove a $50 billion health transformation fund for rural America.
• 📉 He points out that hospitals lose money on every Medicaid patient, yet Republicans increased Medicaid spending by $200 billion.

ACA Affordability and Fraud Concerns

• 📈 Premiums for the ACA have increased by 200% over the last six years, with an average deductible now at $5,000.
• 💰 The ACA's projected cost was $50 billion, but it's now costing $150 billion annually, with an estimated $25 to $50 billion in fraud.
• 🗣️ Marshall argues that Democrats only want to throw more money at the ACA instead of fixing its broken aspects, particularly the fraud.

Healthcare Cost Transparency

• 🏷️ To address healthcare costs, Marshall advocates for adding "price tags" to medical procedures, comparing it to knowing prices in a restaurant.
• 🏥 He uses the example of hip replacements, where costs can range from $10,000 to $50,000, noting that the lower-cost option often had better outcomes.
• 🗣️ Marshall concludes that Democrats own healthcare and their policies are failing, offering to discuss solutions once the government is reopened.