WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator George LeMieux (R-FL) spoke today during the Senate debate on health care and discussed a new report that finds the current proposal will increase health care costs and health insurance premiums. The senator referenced the recent report released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This report states that under Senator Harry Reid’s (D-NV) health care bill, insurance premiums will be raised, health care costs will go up, and federal expenditures will increase by an estimated $366 billion dollars.

“The proposal we’re debating increases the cost of health care. People think this debate is about lowering the cost of health care, but this report from CMS shows health care costs are going to go up, significantly,” said LeMieux. “This bill taxes medical device makers, pharmaceutical companies, the makers of devices and medicines that save our lives. This report anticipates the $64 billion in taxes and penalties will be passed on to health care consumers, you and me.”