While immigration dominated the headlines, Republicans continued their unprecedented assault on the American health care system. Here’s what happened this week in the war on health care – including bipartisan governors and health care advocates loudly standing up to the GOP’s latest actions:
HEALTH CARE REPEAL IS BACK!
Yesterday, Govs. Matt Bevin (R-KY) and Phil Bryant (R-MS) joined with former senator Rick Santorum to announce the latest iteration of the GOP’s health care repeal plan. And no matter how Washington Republicans will try to spin it, it contains the same devastating provisions as previous plans. Among other things, this repeal plan would:
- Gut protections for pre-existing conditions, forcing people to choose between bankruptcy and staying alive;
- Let insurance companies charge older people an age tax;
- Let insurance companies could deny coverage for ‘essential health benefits,’ such as maternity care, prescription drug coverage, and treatment for substance use disorders;
- End Medicaid expansion;
- Take away coverage from millions, driving up the uninsured rate; and
- Give the wealthiest yet another tax break while ending tax credits for while middle-income Americans.
What are Bevin, Bryant, and Santorum’s health records?
- Matt Bevin has threatened to take health care from 500,000 Kentuckians if courts strike down his work requirements.
- Phil Bryant opposed expanding Medicaid because recipients go to the doctor too often because they have “nothing else to do.”
- Rick Santorum compared the ACA to apartheid.
How were Bevin, Bryant, and Santorum greeted when they announced the new plan?
HEALTH CARE ADVOCATES OUT IN FULL FORCE AGAINST GOP REPEAL PLAN
As Govs. Bevin and Bryant and former senator Santorum announced the latest iteration of the GOP’s plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act at the Hoover Institution, they were greeted by health care advocates demanding they stop their attacks on Americans’ care.
Protesters demonstrating their support for health care access.
Exclusive footage of a man who wants to take away Americans’ health care.
Enough is enough – stop the GOP war on health care.
HOUSE GOP BUDGET PROPOSAL LATEST ATTACK ON AMERICANS’ CARE
On Tuesday, House Republicans released a budget resolution containing massive health care cuts and paving the way for full repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The budget came just one day before the six-month anniversary of Congressional Republicans’ trillion-dollar tax scam, when the GOP voted to take health care away from millions of Americans and raise costs on tens of millions more in order to cut taxes for the wealthiest and corporations – but apparently this wasn’t enough.
This budget would pave the way for repealing the Affordable Care Act, slash Medicare and Medicaid, and drastically cut other health programs when what Americans need is relief from the onslaught of GOP health care sabotage. Enough is enough – it’s time for Republicans to end their war on health care.
IGNORING 95% OF HEALTH CARE GROUPS, TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FINALIZES AHP RULE
Also on Tuesday, the Trump Administration announced a finalized rule on association health plans (AHPs), which over 95% 95% of health care experts and advocates opposed. AHPs fail to provide real coverage because they can refuse to cover critical consumer protections like prescription drug coverage, mental health care, and maternity care, and studies show that these types of plans have a long history of fraud and unpaid claims. These garbage health plans are just the latest Trump Administration attempt to undermine and sabotage our health insurance.
- Not A Single Group Representing Patients, Physicians, Nurses Or Hospitals Voiced Support In The Public Comments. “Altogether, more than 95% — or 266 of 279 — of the healthcare groups that filed comments about the proposed association health plan regulation expressed serious concern or opposed it.” [LA Times, 5/30]
BIPARTISAN GOVERNORS SLAM ADMINISTRATION OVER PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
It wasn’t just patients, physicians, nurses, and hospitals who opposed the plan, however. This week, nine bipartisan governors released a statement slamming the Trump Administration’s decision to argue that protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions are unconstitutional. The nine governors – including Republican Govs. Brian Sandoval, John Kasich and Larry Hogan, and Independent Bill Walker – all recognize the importance of protecting the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and the cruelty of the Administration’s recent actions.
These nine bipartisan governors are showing what true leadership looks like – the Administration would do well to follow their lead and reverse their current position.