Heartless.

 

Yesterday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released their analysis of the U.S. Senate Republican’s health care bill and confirmed what was already painfully and unmistakably clear: This bill is cruel, would be a giant step backward for this country, and would take health care away from 22 million people.

 

 

 

What’s the deal? In recent weeks, a group of 13 all-male Republican U.S. Senators drafted this destructive bill behind closed doors, modeling it closely after the terrible bill passed on a Republican party-line vote by the U.S. House. It’s no wonder they drafted this bill in secret, as it would take health coverage away from 22 million people! 

 

In addition to taking health care away from 22 million people, the Republican proposal would raise costs and gut protections for those who don’t lose their coverage altogether, making coverage unaffordable for those who need it the most. If the U.S. Senate bill becomes law, the health insurance plans that are available would be more expensive, less adequate and offer fewer protections – in many cases, excluding coverage for mental health care, maternity care, birth control and prescription drugs. The bill also allows insurance companies to charge older Americans five times (5x!!!) more for coverage than everyone else, pricing many older Americans out of the market altogether.

 

 

But that’s not all - it gets even worse! The horrific “Better Care Reconciliation Act” would also end our nation’s highly effective Medicaid program, which has existed for more than 50 years, and undermine our country’s economic growth and prosperity. This puts the coverage of low-income women, children, and families at risk and would greatly impact people living with disability and older Americans! The legislation would also defund Planned Parenthood, making it impossible for millions to get the primary and preventive care they need.

 

Simply put, the U.S. Senate health care repeal bill is an assault on America’s families. It is out of touch, out of line with our nation’s priorities, and devastating to moms, children, families and our economy. Its enactment would mean people get sicker, without the care they need. This would create a crisis for our nation and particularly for families in vulnerable communities, including low-income families, people with disabilities, the elderly, and those who live in rural and medically underserved communities, with a compounding impact in Black, Latinx, Asian, Native American, and LGBTQ+ communities.