Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are trying to jam Trumpcare through the House of Representatives today, which they have made severely more painful for American families since their first attempt to pass the bill failed in March. Back then, it was already a looming disaster for the country that would cost 26 million Americans their health insurance and force skyrocketing costs onto working people, senior citizens, and rural communities.
Trumpcare has been overwhelmingly rejected by the American people, as poll after poll confirms, and now, after recent changes made to buy votes from the most conservative members of Congress, it fundamentally cripples healthcare coverage for Americans with preexisting conditions, which Trump promised he would never do. It also even compromises healthcare coverage and defunds Planned Parenthood.
Trump and the Republican leadership in the House are set to rush this vote before the Congressional Budget Office can update their nonpartisan analysis of Trumpcare – in violation of numerous campaign promises – and that is because they don’t what the public to learn what this bill really is before the House passes it.
“Trumpcare is a $1 trillion cut to healthcare that sells-out every sick person in our country and will mean the loss of insurance for tens of millions. It’s an assault on the ability of any American to get medical care when they need it most, all in exchange for hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts for the rich. What Republicans are trying to accomplish by jamming this bill through today is truly disgusting, and the country is going to hold them accountable for selling them out,” said American Bridge Vice President Shripal Shah.
In advance of this afternoon’s vote, here’s what you need to know about the worst consequences this bill would have for the American people:
- It TAKES health insurance from 26 million Americans
- It GUTS coverage for pre-existing conditions – including being a woman, cancer, HIV-AIDS, diabetes, heart disease, sexual assault, asthma
- Republicans are BREAKING campaign promises by rushing Trumpcare through without a CBO price tag
- Republicans in Congress tried to EXEMPT themselves from this
- Trumpcare CUTS TAXES FOR THE RICH by hundreds of billions of dollars
- Trumpcare JEOPARDIZES the quality of employer-based health care
Who’s against this bill:
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, JDRF, March of Dimes, National Organization for Rare Disorders, National MS Society, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
What they have to say about it:
- “As introduced, the bill would profoundly reduce coverage for millions of Americans—including many low-income and disabled individuals who rely on Medicaid—and increase out-of-pocket costs for the sickest and oldest among us.”
- “These changes include allowing states to waive the requirement for essential health benefits, which could deny patients the care and treatment they need to treat their conditions.”
- “Weakening these rules would enable insurers to charge higher prices to people with pre-existing conditions, possibly making insurance unaffordable for those who need it most.”
- “The individuals and families we represent cannot go back to a time when people with pre-existing conditions could be denied coverage or forced to choose between purchasing basic necessities and affording their health care coverage.”
Who else? Planned Parenthood who says the bill would:
- “Policy tweaks and a new coat of paint have only made Paul Ryan’s disastrous health care repeal bill worse for patients and access to care — but that’s not stopping the House from voting on it this week.”
- “It allows states to slash essential health benefits like maternity care. It lets insurers charge people with pre-existing conditions excessively high amounts for coverage.”
And who else? The AARP who says the bill would:
- “Impose anage tax. Insurers could charge older adults five times what younger consumers pay for health insurance — up from three times what younger people pay, under the current law. At the same time, the bill would reduce tax credits that help older adults afford their coverage. The age tax could increase annual premiums by $13,000, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).”
- “Allow insurers to chargehigher premiums to consumers with preexisting conditions, potentially to levels that people cannot afford.”
- “Jeopardize essential health benefits. States could receive waivers allowing insurers to eliminate coverage for critical benefits. Among the benefits states could opt out of: emergency services, hospitalization, prescription drug coverage, mental health services, chronic disease management and preventive care.”
- “Do nothing to address the high cost of prescription drugs. Consumers with chronic illnesses have seen the price of their medications more than double since 2006, and this legislation would do nothing tohelp lower costs. At the same time, it would hand a $200 billion windfall in tax breaks to special interests like drugmakers and insurance companies.”
Here’s why the GOP “compromise” on high risk pools is BS:
From Avalere:
- “The AHCA provides states with a variety of options for how to use the funds, including the creation of high risk pools. Under the AHCA, $15 billion of this fund is distributed to states in 2019. This amount of money, were it all allocated to covering individuals with a pre-existing chronic condition, will only cover 600,000 individuals.
- “Approximately 2.2 million enrollees in the individual market today have some form of pre-existing chronic condition. Under the AHCA, states would be able to apply for a waiver to allow medical underwriting of individuals who do not maintain continuous coverage (i.e., let their insurance lapse for 63 days), provided the state sets up a program to provide some form of financial assistance to help high risk individuals or health plans who cover them.”
Get Smart Fast:
Wall Street Journal, 5/4/17: GOP Health Bill Jeopardizes Out-of-Pocket Caps in Employer Plans
CNBC, 5/4/17: Employer insurance plans threatened by GOP health-care bill
ABC News, 5/3/17: Amendment to Trump’s health care bill falls short on pre-existing conditions, analysts say
The Hill, 5/3/17: GOP rushing to vote on healthcare without analysis of changes
The Independent, 5/4/17: Pregnancy to cost 425% more under Donald Trump’s health plan compared to Obamacare
Axios, 5/4/2017: “Retiring Republican lets loose on House health bill”
New York Magazine, 5/4/17: In Trump’s America, Rape Is a Preexisting Condition
CBS News, 5/3/17: Poll: Half of voters oppose pre-existing condition opt-out for states
Business Insider, 5/1/17: No, the Republican healthcare bill does not protect preexisting conditions
Seattle Times, 5/2/17: Patients with pre-existing conditions fear new plan to repeal Obamacare
Consumer Reports, 5/3/17: Got a Pre-Existing Condition? Your Premium Could Rise Sharply Under New GOP Plan
Published: May 4, 2017