Ruling on Health Care Lawsuit Threatens to Burden Consumers with Higher Costs

TexPIRG

AUSTIN – Statement of TexPIRG Advocate Melissa Cubria on Judge Roger Vinson’s ruling today on Florida v. HHS, the lawsuit brought by state attorneys generals and governors against the new federal health care law.

“Consumers and small businesses would face significantly higher insurance premiums, if higher courts ultimately uphold Judge’s Vinson ruling to reverse last year’s federal health care law.

According to a recent report from TexPIRG, The Cost of Repeal, consumers who purchase their own insurance would face up to 20% higher premiums in the event this law and the per-employee cost of providing employer-sponsored insurance would be $3000 a year higher, by the end of the decade.

“However, rollback of the law is far from inevitable.  Today’s ruling is just one step in a long legal process, with lengthy and expensive appeals. The parties to this suit should dedicate the time, energy and precious taxpayer dollars they are now wasting on this lawsuit toward finding real solutions to the growing threat which health care costs pose to their states’ economies.”