A BETTER WAY FORWARD
Obamacare Is Building a Massive Bureaucracy
Obamacare is already producing massive increases in federal and state bureaucracies.
In 2008, prior to the Obama administration, the Department of Health and Human Services employed 75,400 workers.[1]
In December 2011, the department employed 84,800 people – an increase of 9,400 workers – or 12 percent – in just three years.[2] The Office of the HHS Secretary alone has increased by 3,000 workers.[3]
HHS isn’t the only part of government that is growing. The IRS has already spent nearly $1 billion to implement Obamacare, and will spend much more in future years.[4]
[1] FedScope Federal Employment Database, http://www.fedscope.opm.gov/cognos/cgi-bin/ppdscgi.exe?DC=Q&E=/FSe%20-%20Status_Access/Employment%20-%20September%202008&LA=en&LO=en-us&BACK=/cognos/cgi-bin/ppdscgi.exe?toc=%2FFSe%20-%20Status_Access&LA=en&LO=en-us (checked June 21, 2012).
[2] [FedScope Federal Employment Database, http://www.fedscope.opm.gov/cognos/cgi-bin/ppdscgi.exe?DC=Q&E=/FSe%20-%20Status_Access/Employment%20-%20December%202011&LA=en&LO=en-us&BACK=/cognos/cgi-bin/ppdscgi.exe?toc=/FSe%20-%20Status_Access&LA=en&LO=en-us] (checked June 21, 2012).
[3] FedScope Federal Employment Database, http://www.fedscope.opm.gov/cognos/cgi-bin/ppdscgi.exe?DC=Q&E=/FSe%20-%20Status_Access/Employment%20-%20December%202011&LA=en&LO=en-us&BACK=/cognos/cgi-bin/ppdscgi.exe?toc=/FSe%20-%20Status_Access&LA=en&LO=en-us(checked June 21, 2012).
[4] Government Accountability Office, “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: IRS Managing Implementation Risk But Its Approach Could Be Refined,” June 2012, http://gao.gov/assets/600/591566.pdf.
