Senator Bob Corker : Health Care Law Will Drive Up Costs, Needs to be Replaced with Legislation that Fits the American People

Update from Senator Bob Corker
March 31, 2012

Health Care Law Will Drive Up Costs, Needs to be Replaced with Legislation that Fits the American People

As the Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of the president's health care law this week, Senator Corker said the law is going to drive up health care costs and will have to be replaced with "common sense" legislation that "fits these times, fits the American people, allows the freedom and choice that American people are accustomed to" and is "fiscally sound."

In remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, Corker noted the law places an unfunded mandate on states to expand their Medicaid programs, which will cost Tennessee $1.1 billion dollars, and makes providing health care more expensive, incentivizing some employers to deny coverage and transfer their employees to the federally-controlled exchanges at taxpayer expense.

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GAIN Act to Address Threat of Drug-Resistant Infections Advancing in Senate

Senator Corker praised inclusion of the GAIN Act (S. 1734) in a discussion draft of the Food and Drug Administration User Fee reauthorization bill released Thursday. The GAIN Act, introduced by Corker and Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT) in October, aims to spur development of new drugs to treat increasing cases of bacterial infections resistant to conventional antibiotics.

"While I will carefully consider the overall FDA bill on its own merits, I'm pleased the GAIN Act is advancing in the process and am hopeful growing support for the act among both parties in Congress will allow it to become law," Senator Corker said. "Drug-resistant infections pose an increasing threat to public health in Tennessee and throughout the country. The GAIN Act, without putting additional federal dollars at stake, provides meaningful incentives to aid development of new antibiotics in a diminishing segment of the drug market that will help save lives and reduce health care costs."

Antibiotic resistant "superbugs" have been increasing over the last decade, with the rate of antibiotic-resistant Staph infections approaching 50 percent. Drug-resistant infections have increasingly affected troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, as many of them have been exposed to a new, highly-resistant and contagious strain of Acinetobacter (Iraqibacter) bacteria. Approximately 3,300 service members were treated for drug-resistant Acinetobacter between 2004 and 2009. Among these cases, 89 percent are resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics and 15 percent are resistant to all forms of treatment.

The GAIN Act has been endorsed by 53 groups, including the National Military Vets Alliance, American Medical Association, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Children's National Medical Center.

For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/H6I39U.

Reminder: Rally Point Veterans Assistance Event in Knoxville Wednesday, April 4th

Rally Point, an event to connect veterans and their families with services in their communities, will take place on Wednesday, April 4, at the Jacob Building at Chilhowee Park in Knoxville. The event will provide veterans and their families with a "one-stop shop" to connect with 36 agencies and organizations to help with everything from VA claims to employment assistance.

"This is about serving those who have served our country. I thank Mayor Rogero, Mayor Burchett and all the organizations involved for helping us organize this event, and I hope it will be a great resource for Tennessee veterans that we can replicate in other parts of the state," said Corker.

Rally Point is free and open to all Tennessee veterans. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/GJKP21.

Knoxville News Sentinel: 'Rally Point' aims to aid veterans, families