According to the Economic Policy Institute, “99% of Americans…win if the GOP health plan fails.”
It benefits business and super-rich elites at the expense of affordable healthcare for everyone – a fundamental human right.
According to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scoring, 14 million Americans will lose coverage next year, 24 million by 2026, leaving over 50 million uninsured, almost double the number under Obamacare.
“We’re going to have insurance for everybody,” Trump promised. “There was a philosophy in some circles that if you can’t pay for it, you don’t get it.”
“That’s not going to happen with us.” People covered under Obamacare “can expect to have great health care. It will be in a much simplified form. Much less expensive and much better.”
He lied! CBO estimates explain what Trump, Speaker Ryan and other Republicans suppress. Trumpcare is nightmarish for virtually all Americans – except privileged ones benefiting hugely.
The American Health Care Act (AHCA) in its current form cuts $880 billion in Medicaid spending over the next 10 years – by reducing Medicaid expansion and converting the program to a per capita cap.
By 2026, the number of beneficiaries would fall by 14 million, most ending up uninsured – on their own or dependent on charity, if available, in case of illnesses, diseases or serious injuries.
The CBO and Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimates a federal deficit reduction of $337 over the 2017 – 2026 period.
The largest savings come from Medicaid cuts and elimination of Obamacare subsidies for non-group coverage.
The largest cost increases come from repealing changes under Obamacare to the Internal Revenue code, tax cuts for business, and establishing a new tax credit for health insurance.
Most Americans will face higher premiums, deductibles and co-pays than already onerous ones, making healthcare increasingly unaffordable for millions – while business and the nation’s rich will get hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks over the next decade.
CBO scoring shows Trumpcare would make coverage less available and more unaffordable for most Americans.
They’ll pay much high insurance premiums because of large tax credit cuts. The average subsidy would be about half as much as now provided.
Premiums for older Americans will soar. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price lied, claiming “our plan will cover more individuals at a lower cost and give them the choices that they want for the coverage that they want for themselves and their family, not that the government forces them to buy.”
America’s Essential Hospitals calls itself “the leading association and champion for hospitals and health systems dedicated to high-quality care for all, including the most vulnerable.”
On Monday, it issued a statement, saying CBO analysis “underscores the urgent need for Congress to rethink its strategy on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).”
“This bill would make the country worse off than we were before the ACA. We must move our nation forward, not backward.”
“(U)nprecedented (Medicaid) cuts would immediately weaken our hospitals’ ability to provide care to all our patients.”
“(U)ncompensated care costs would fall hardest on hospitals for vulnerable patients – essential hospitals. (They) already operate with little or no margin…(They) could not sustain these additional cuts.”
“(W)e must halt the repeal process until we can ensure those who have coverage now can keep it.”
Millions now covered will lose out if Trumpcare passes in its current form. The health and welfare of most Americans depends of defeating it.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
