Romney Quotes on Health Reform

By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight we quote.

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), Quotes and Originality

 

 September 18, 2012 -  It is no secret that I lead off most of my posts with quotes, often from Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations.  Why? Because  there is rarely anything new that hasn’t been said better before.   I also like to quote today’s politicians, who are likely to say what they think rather than write what they think.

·         On the individual mandate

“If somebody could afford insurance, they should either buy the insurance or pay their own way. ... We said: If you can afford insurance, then either have the insurance or get a health savings account. Pay your own way, but no more free ride. That was what the mandate did.” – Romney, GOP candidate debate, Jan. 30, 2008

·         On Obamacare as a power grab

 “Mr. President, if, in fact, you did look at what we did in Massachusetts, why didn't you give me a call and ask what worked and what didn't? ... I would have told you, Mr. President, that what you're doing will not work. It's a huge power grab by the federal government. It's going to be massively expensive, raising taxes, cutting Medicare.” – Romney, GOP candidate debate, June 13, 2011

·         On why Romneycare is good for Massachusetts but not for other states

 “I like what I proposed in Massachusetts when I was governor. And even though the final bill and its implementation aren't exactly the way I wanted, the plan is a good model. Today, almost every Massachusetts citizen who had been uninsured now has private, free-market coverage, and we didn't have to raise taxes or borrow money to make it happen. We may find even better ideas in other states. But let's make certain that conservative principles are front and center. A big-government takeover of health care is the next thing liberals are going to try, and it's the last thing America needs” – Romney, CPAC Convention, Feb. 27, 2009.

·         On reforming Medicare and Social Security

 “I wouldn't repeal it. I'd reform Medicare and reform Medicaid and reform Social Security to get them on a sustainable basis, not for current retirees, but for those in their 20s and 30s and early 50s” – Romney, Tampa Tea Party Debate, Sept. 12, 2011.

·         On why health care is so expensive in the U.S.

"The reason health care is so expensive … is not just because of insurance, it's because of the cost of providing care. And one reason for that is the person who receives care in America generally doesn't care how much it costs, because once they've paid their deductible, it's free. And the provider, the more they do, the more they get paid … And so what we have to do is make sure that individuals have a concern and care about how much something costs. And for that to happen [we need] health savings accounts. Give people a stake in what the cost of insurance is going to be, what the cost of it is going to be. Co-insurance, where people pay a share of the bill, that makes a difference." – Romney, Tampa Tea Party Debate, Sept. 12, 2011.

·         On why people should own and choose their policies

"I want people to be able to own their own insurance, if they wish to. And to buy it for themselves and perhaps keep it the rest of their lives and to choose among different policies offered from companies across the nation," he said. "That means the insurance company will have an incentive to keep you healthy. It also means, if you don’t like what they do, you can fire them." -- Nashua, New Hampshire, Jan. 9, 2012

·         On returning Medicaid to the statea

"My view is get the federal government out of Medicaid, get it out of health care. Return it to the states." – Romney, South Carolina GOP Primary Debate, Jan. 20, 2012.

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