The White House and top Democrats were quick today to applaud a new federal report showing that 2009 to 2012 saw the slowest growth in U.S. health care expenditures since the 1960s. White House senior communications advisor Tara McGuinness also tweeted out the good news, complete with graph.
2009 to 2012 saw the slowest growth in U.S. HC expenditures since the government started collecting data in the 1960s pic.twitter.com/nfXfGdzx3F
— T. McGuinness (NARA) (@Tara44) January 6, 2014
https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/420315900320182272
NBC News reports that, “while the White House tried to take credit for putting on the brakes, it really looks more like plain old economic cycles, government actuaries reported Monday.” In other words, the recession. “Obamacare’s role? Almost none at all, they found — something the White House strongly disputes.”
The Washington Post also credits the recession for the trend, as well as the fact that major prescription drugs like Lipitor and Singular went generic. Reporter Sarah Kliff noted that federal officials said “the Affordable Care Act has had a ‘minimal’ impact on health care spending.”
Any other questions for Health Care Tara while we’re talking Obamacare?
Still waiting for my health insurance to cost $2500 less than it did pre-ACA. Any timetable on that? @HealthCareTara
— Mike (@ThePantau) January 6, 2014
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Hi @HealthCareTara, how many people have actually paid their premiums?
— Carl Gustav (@CaptYonah) January 6, 2014
@bluberreez They keep forgetting to add that little nugget of information. It's kind of important, at least if you want to sustain the thing
— Carl Gustav (@CaptYonah) January 6, 2014
https://twitter.com/SpeaksDem/status/420319342064963584
@HealthCareTara doesn't seem you know how to read graphs.. looks like this has been a trend since the 80s
— nilgirian (@nilgirian) January 6, 2014
@HealthCareTara @PressSec which Obama support group doctored this study?
— Big Baller (@BigHoops33) January 6, 2014
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