During a heated exchange between Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), the congressman said talking to Sebelius is “like talking to the Republic of Korea.”
Sebelius is testifying in front of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health regarding the myriad problems associated with the Affordable Care Act. Shimkus criticized the testimony that Sebelius gave to Rep. Jan Shakowski (D-IL), in which she insisted that the Affordable Care Act was paid in full.
Shimkus said he would try to be “nice and polite” but that Americans deserved the truth from Sebelius. He told the HHS Secretary that she cannot claim that Obamacare is paid for. The congressman from Illinois reminded Sebelius that she had admitted to this congress that she “double counted $500 billion,” claiming $500 billion went to preserve Medicare and that $500 billion went to Obamacare. “You can’t tell us this is paid for when we double counted $500 billion. I just want to put that on the record.”
Shimkus also pointed out that in Illinois only 1,300 people enrolled in Obamacare while 20 times more enrolled in Medicaid. Shimkus also demanded Sebelius give him the number of consumers that have actually paid for Obamacare plans since enrolling. Sebelius stonewalled him, saying that “we did not take over the private insurance market that people will purchase their plans from the insurance companies.” Shimkus said the the 365,000 enrollment number is fraudulent and insisted that Sebeilus come back with the true number of how many have actually paid for healthcare plans.
Shimkus also said Sebelius was not telling the truth when she claimed the expanded services offered by the Obamacare health plans are free. The congressman scolded Sebelius, saying, “When you mandate coverage it’s rolled directly on premiums; as the premiums increase, that’s paying for the services. You cannot say these are free of charge.”