Bill will cut care and price-out Coloradans with pre-existing conditions
RELEASE
July 13, 2017
Contact: Katie Reinisch, 303-653-1009, katie@progressive-promotions.com
Adam Fox, 303-563-9108, afox@cohealthinitiative.org
DENVER – The revised Senate Republican health care proposal released today makes only cosmetic changes that do nothing to alter the fundamental problems with the bill. It will gut Medicaid and protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The new amendment from Senator Cruz eviscerates consumer protections, destabilizes the insurance markets and is being rejected by consumer groups and insurance companies alike. It continues to increase insurance premiums for seniors and gut care for children, seniors and people with disabilities. The bill continues to leave a $15 billion hole in Colorado’s state budget, while giving tax cuts to big corporations and the wealthy.
“The new draft bill still guts Medicaid, taking away coverage from over 600,000 Coloradans, but now adds in a provision that affects many consumers by eviscerating protections for people with pre-existing conditions. This bill is unfixable.Instead of trying to make health care better for Coloradans, Senate Republicans, including Senator Cory Gardner, propose to make it worse,” said Adam Fox of the Protect Our Care Colorado coalition. “Yet again, Senate Republicans have chosen to ignore experts, providers, nurses, hospitals, and their own constituents in crafting this disastrous partisan bill.”
“This bill is devastating to people living with disabilities. The cuts to Medicaid in this bill directly puts seniors and the disabled at grave risk of being unable to sustain life and liberty,” said Julie Reiskin of the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition.
“Senator Bennet has taken a clear stand to oppose any? bill that hurts Coloradans. We implore Senator Gardner, who helped craft this monstrosity, to reject this bill that takes coverage away from people, ends the Medicaid expansion, decimates the Medicaid program and leaves people with pre-existing conditions without affordable insurance,” said Fox.
Senate Republicans are looking to rush this bill through; a vote on the Senate bill is anticipated as soon as next week following an updated score from the Congressional Budget Office.
Protect Our Care Colorado is a coalition of 48 organizations in Colorado advocating to protect the health care of Coloradans. To learn more the coalition, visit ProtectOurCareCo.org.