This is a wealthcare bill disguised as a health care bill that is bad for Coloradans
MEDIA RELEASE
May 24, 2017
Contact: Adam Fox, 303-839-1261, afox@cohealthinitiative.org
Jenny Davies, 720-296-9545, jenny@progressive-promotions.com
DENVER – On May 4th, the nation watched as the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill to end Medicaid as we know it, strip protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and increase the out-of-pocket costs consumers face in health care, all to provide a massive tax cut for the wealthy. This unprecedented vote took place without an updated analysis from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
With today’s CBO score, we see what the House voted blindly to pass –and its devastating impacts. The CBO shows us that the American Health Care Act will not only slash health care access, affordability and quality, it will cost all but the wealthiest taxpayers and our economy dearly.
“The final analysis of this monstrous bill passed by the House shows it continues to lead to massive numbers of Americans losing health coverage. 23 million Americans are expected to lose coverage,” said Adam Fox of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. “Three of Colorado’s Representatives voted blindly — without sufficient financial analysis — in favor of this bill that would leave more than 600,000 Colorado seniors, children, and people with disabilities without health insurance and price older Coloradans out of private insurance. Rep. Mike Coffman had the good sense to listen to constituents and buck his party to vote against the bill pushed through in a rushed and opaque process that the Senate seems inclined to repeat. We thank Reps. Coffman, DeGette, Perlmutter and Polis for their votes against this terrible bill and will work to ensure that their votes on any future bills protect Coloradans’ health.”
The new CBO analysis shows that the House bill maintains a disastrous $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid that will cause 14 million Americans and at least 600,000 Coloradans to lose coverage. The bill will also now allow states to end protections from insurers discriminating against people based on their health. The bill continues to slash tax credits that currently make health insurance more affordable, allows insurers to charge older Americans much higher premiums, and will lead to many rural Colorado hospitals facing deep cuts or shutting their doors altogether. On top of the massive Medicaid cuts in the bill, the Trump administration budget released yesterday proposes an additional $600 billion in cuts to Medicaid and the Child Health Plan program for a total of $1.4 trillion in Medicaid cuts.
“We know very well from the legislature’s discussion about the Hospital Provider Fee the dangers of Medicaid cuts and their devastating impact on rural hospitals,” said Carol Hedges of the Colorado Fiscal Institute. “We’ve worked hard in Colorado to avoid those millions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, yet Congress is cutting $14 billion from Colorado’s Medicaid program by 2030. This leaves a gaping hole in our state budget and will hurt our economy. It will also reverse the coverage gains Colorado has achieved and our advances in health equity.”
“It’s time to stop this backroom partisan process and irresponsible bill. The President and Republicans promised they would improve health care and not take away coverage from anyone, but this analysis shows they are breaking their promise to the American people with a wealthcare bill disguised as a health care bill,” said Fox. “Colorado must look to our Senators Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet to stand with Coloradans. We call on them to oppose any bill that ends Medicaid expansion, caps or guts Medicaid for seniors, people with disabilities and children, or makes insurance coverage less affordable.”
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Protect Our Care Colorado is a coalition of 44 organizations in Colorado advocating to protect the health care of Coloradans. To learn more the coalition, visit ProtectOurCareCo.org.