Lubbock Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and Budget Committee Health Care Task Force (HCTF) Chair Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) have requested an investigation into the Obamacare program's impact on federal deficits.

The House Budget Committee's Health Care Task Force expressed concerns about the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), stating that it has not fulfilled its intended purpose. They pointed out that CMMI, established under Obamacare to save taxpayer money and enhance care quality, has failed to deliver on its mandate. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) initially projected savings from CMMI, but a recent analysis revealed that the program has instead increased federal spending by billions of dollars.

In a letter to the Comptroller General Gene Dodaro of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the committee requested an updated report on CMMI, focusing on its use of funding and performance evaluation. This request follows a recent roundtable discussion where stakeholders explored why CMMI is contributing billions to the national debt rather than achieving budgetary savings.

The Health Care Task Force emphasized the urgency of overseeing mandatory health care programs like CMMI, which they believe are major contributors to the nation's $34 trillion national debt. The committee highlighted projections showing that spending on health care programs could surpass $3.2 trillion in 2034, significantly more than the budget allocated for national defense in the same year.

The committee stressed the need for effective budgetary oversight to ensure that programs like CMMI are not only accountable to taxpayers but also deliver the intended benefits to patients.