Votes Scheduled for Wednesday Morning
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price will not answer a simple question: Will millions of Americans lose coverage under the new “TrumpCare” legislation. Price, lauded by Republicans for being both a physician and the only (now former) member of Congress to actually have written an ObamaCare replacement bill, spoke to reporters Tuesday afternoon to sell House Republicans’ bill that would repeal and “replace” ObamaCare.
The new legislation doesn’t so much replace ObamaCare as provide a framework for a system that will cost Americans much more, offer them lower quality insurance, transfer penalties paid for those who delay coverage from the government to insurance providers, and cover far less people than ObamaCare.
“Can you guarantee that this plan will not have a remarkably negative impact on the deficit or result in millions of Americans losing health insurance?” Price was asked.
“What I can say is the goal and the desire I know of the individuals on the Hill,” Price responded, referring to House Republicans, “is to make certain that this does not increase the cost to the federal government.”
Perhaps that’s really all Americans need to hear.
Vox reports that between six and 10 million will lose coverage under the new TrumpCare plan. The AP reports, “GOP health bill would save taxpayers nearly $600B in next decade. The bulk of the money would go to the wealthy.”
The legislation also defunds entirely Planned Parenthood, and for no discernible reason gives health insurance companies a huge tax break on CEO salaries.
Actually, one last thing Americans do need to know: House Republicans are trying to have committee votes on the TrumpCare bills Wednesday morning. Yes, less than two days after being posted, Republicans want to ram these horrific bills through Congress.
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