- Less than 3 weeks. In less than 3 weeks, the Senate will vote on the American Healthcare Act (AHCA) and by all accounts, AHCA is poised to become law. Does that scare you? Well, you are not alone. According to a Quinnipiac University Poll from Fox News, only 17% of Americans support the Republicans' Healthcare Plan. And this is without knowing most of content in the bill.
- This frighteningly secretive bill is being concocted by a handful of 13-14 Republican Senators lead by Mitch McConnell with only their Republican counterparts privy to the details and negotiations of the bill. It has not been shared with their Democratic counterparts. This is a siren call and a horrible deja vu to the how AHCA passed the House. McConnell officially invoked Rule 14 on June 4 that would fast track the bill through the Senate. No public hearings to seek input from the public, the medical community (who strongly oppose the bill) or from fellow Democrats will be held. There will be no debates, amendments or rewrites as the bill will bypass all committees, including the Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) and Finance committees. After speaking to McConnell's office, as of June 8, there are no concrete plans to release the bill to the public or even a CBO score of it. But by all reports, McConnell and the GOP will rush to vote on the bill in days or even hours once the bill and CBO score is made public to avoid the near certain backlash they will incur from the public. No good comes from an act conceived in darkness and expedited in a frenzy.
- Make no mistake, this is not just an attack on Americans' healthcare, it is a fundamental violation of America's democratic institutions and norms.
- But here are the components of the bill we know thus far from reports:
-According to John Cornyn (R-TX) (second in leadership of the Senate GOP) the Senate AHCA bill will "overlap with the House bill by 70-80%."
-CBO score of AHCA reveals that 23 million more Americans will lose coverage by 2026 as compared to if ACA were to remain law.
-Lower-income seniors would find their premiums sky-rocket to as much as 850%.
-7 million veterans would lose tax credits.
-Employer-based plans (which covers half the US) is also at risk as AHCA allows state waivers to opt out of Essential Health Benefits (EHBs) including maternity care, prescription drugs, mental health treatment and hospitalization that employers can choose to implement on their employees.
-Reports that the Senate's AHCA plan would rid waivers on community ratings (as a way to placate those who fear being priced out due to pre-existing conditions) would still not protect people with pre-existing conditions due to EHBs waivers. People in EHBs waiver states would find plans that wouldn't sufficiently cover their medical needs.
-An estimated 5.3 million people with pre-existing conditions live in EHBs waiver states.
-Medicaid would be absolutely eviscerated. $880 billion in federal cuts and a per capita imposition on states. Medicaid covers not only the working poor, but seniors, people with disabilities and children. These people would all have their coverage reduced due to caps or block grants.
-Not only will Medicaid be phased-out (Senate GOP currently arguing whether it should be 3, 5 or 7 years) but those who need it will permanently lock-out of the program. Aging people, people who develop disabilities and children beginning their lives would no longer have access the program.
-14 million Americans on Medicaid would lose their health insurance within a year.
-The wealthiest 0.1% would receive an annual $200,000 in tax cuts through AHCA- $600 billion in total
- The Duplicitous Players
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA) -The Louisiana Purchase that should be returned
Cassidy propelled himself unto the national stage after appearing on The Jimmy Kimmel Show to discuss AHCA. Kimmel's deeply personal story regarding his infant son's heart condition touched millions and prompted Cassidy to propose that AHCA should pass the so call "Jimmy Kimmel Test." However, Cassidy's spotlight was tainted right from the start when he stated on national network TV that children wouldn't lose healthcare through coverage by the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP and Medicaid are closely intertwined. Perhaps Cassidy forgot AHCA's staggering proposal to cut $880 billion from Medicaid but that's doubtful considering he is a physician. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement against AHCA the day it passed the House. Now Cassidy has abandoned his "crusade" to protect children's healthcare by supporting AHCA because it's "cognizant of pre-existing conditions." Whatever that means is uninterruptible due to the lack of transparency in drafting the Senate's bill. Currently 37 million children are covered by Medicaid. And 170,900 Louisianans with Medicaid will lose coverage or see a cut of $631 per enrollee. Those on the individual market will see an increase in $895 in premiums. Since Louisiana expanded Medicaid through ACA, about half a million were able to gain coverage. Overall, 343,400 Louisianans stand to lose coverage under AHCA.
Louisiana constituents can contact Bill Cassidy at 202-224-5824
- Dean Heller (R-NV)- A Politician taking the Las Vegas Gamble
Once AHCA passed the House, Heller stated that Medicaid expansion states like Nevada needed to be protected. One can't simply "pull the rug out" from the Medicaid population. Now Heller has flipped on his position and supports a 7 year phase-out of Medicaid. Medicaid expansion under ACA has garnered 10% more Nevadans with coverage. Expansion has allowed 203,000 Nevadans to gain Medicaid coverage, 18,000 of whom are veterans. And if Nevada decides to elicit the EHBs waiver, insurers could increase premiums to $15k for pregnancy and $5k for diabetes just to name a few. As for an elderly, low income Nevadan under ACA, he/she's premium can explode from from $1,700 to $16,100 under AHCA. Unbelievablely. Heller is tolling a fine line between following McConnell's orders and working for his constituents as he is up for re-election in 2018. Last time, he won by only ~12,000 votes. In fact, more than 200 people have already donated to his eventual Democratic opponent in 2018. Donations can be made here: https://secure.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/50550
Nevada Constituents can contact Dean Heller at 202-224-6244
- Susan Collins (R-ME)- Shady like Fall Foliage
Collins stance on AHCA cannot be pinned specifically due to her purposeful evasiveness. After AHCA passed the house, she stated that the Senate will start from scratch. According to Cornyn, this is no longer true as the Senate bill would adopt up to 80% of the House bill. Cornyn has also stated they are "slowly, but surely getting there"-perhaps Collins caved? As a skilled politician, she said as recently as this Sunday on CNN, she cannot support a bill where 23 million loses coverage. Yet, this does not mean she won't support a bill where perhaps 22.9 million loses coverage. Semantics is at play here with Collins and sadly, Maine can't afford it. Nearly a quarter of those on Medicaid are seniors and people with disability and their care account for 64% of Medicaid funding. The drastic Medicaid cuts would hurt the most vulnerable of those in Maine. 57,300 Medicaid enrollees would lose coverage and 116,000 Mainers overall would lose coverage. Those in the individual market would face an increase of $818 in premiums. In rural parts of the state, hospitals are already closing and AHCA's cuts will only exacerbate the problem for Maine's rural population. Maine is also one of states grappling with the Opioid Epidemic. Last year, 378 people died from overdose, making that more than 1 per day. The greatest obstacle to helping those suffering with substance abuse, as one local deputy chief states, is access to healthcare. Perhaps McConnell will buy Collins' vote during their secretive backroom deals with more funding for the Opioid Epidemic. But as we already seen with the Upton Amendment from the House, the GOP doesn't exactly have a precedent for allotting sufficient funding for dire causes.
Maine Constituents can contact Susan Collins at 202-224-2523
- Rob Portman (R-OH)- Fighting the War on Drugs with a War on Medicaid
Portman is the the GOP senator on a mission to suffocate Medicaid. He is the leading architect on the Senate GOP's plan on crafting Medicaid. Initially, he stated on CNN that he will not support a plan that does not provide "Medicaid expansion stability," but that has become an empty statement. It would be neglectful to not highlight Portman is also the Senator of one of the states at the epicenter of the Opioid Epidemic. The Opioid Epidemic has ravaged Ohio. In 2015, 30,000 Ohioans died from overdoses- rivaling that at the peak of the AIDs epidemic. In 2014, when Ohio expanded Medicaid under ACA, 700,000 Ohioans were able to gain health insurance, which covered Addiction and Substance Abuse services. Now, 1 in 6 Americans living Ohio who rely on Medicaid for their treatment services risk losing it due to AHCA's staggering Medicaid cuts and eventual phase-out. This is a state wide clarion call for Portman to not only stop working to dismantle Medicaid through cuts, caps and phase-out, but to vote no on AHCA if any part of Senate bill includes these components. For Portman, it's literally comes down to choosing to save Ohioans from death or serving McConnell's agenda. Meanwhile 360,000 Ohioans would lose Medicaid coverage with a cut of $400 per those enrolled. Overall, 539,700 Ohioans would lose coverage due to AHCA and people in individual markets would see their premiums increase by $550.
Ohio Constituents can contact Rob Portman at (202) 224-3353
- Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)- Capitulating Costly Capito
Capito was one of the GOP senators initially against the House AHCA plan, but has now come out in support of a 7 year Medicaid phase-out. 117,000 West Virginians gained access to coverage from Medicaid expansion. Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia has stated that a repeal of Medicaid expansion would cost $900 million in the state's healthcare economy. This means a loss of jobs, jobs and more jobs. Now, 77,300 Medicaid West Virginians will lose their coverage or face a $525 cut in their Medicaid coverage. Overall, 122,800 West Virginians will lose coverage under AHCA and those in individual markets will face a $1,006 increase in premiums. And in coal country, Black Lung Disease is still pressing health issue among miners and repeal of ACA can cost them provisions that would allow them to gain benefits.
West Virginian Constituents can contact Shelley Moore Capito at (202) 224-6472
- Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)- Freezing out Healthcare
Murkowski was also one of the senators who was displeased with the process in which the House passed AHCA. Now she is has been suspiciously withdrawn from issuing any statements regarding her support for the bill. This does not mean her constituents aren't anxious about her decision. Alaska currently only has one insurer and after a rocky period, the market has now stabilized with premiums rising to 7.3% as oppose to the projected 40%. With only one carrier, AHCA might very well put Alaska's healthcare market in a perilous situation. Medicaid expansion has also helped 30,000 Alaskans receive coverage. Due AHCA, 15,100 Alaskans who received coverage through Medicaid expansion are poised to loss coverage and other enrollees would face a $754 in cuts. Overall, 62,500 Alaskans will lose coverage with those in the individual markets seeing a $2,170 increase in premiums.
Alaska Constituents can Contact
Lisa Murkowski at (202) 224-6665
Dan Sullivan (R-AK) (202) 224-3004
- Conclusion
The American Healthcare Act is not a healthcare plan. It's a no-care plan. Any bill that proposes to intentionally strip away healthcare from even a single American is not design to promote healthcare. In fact, it's just the opposite. It's being done in bad faith to siphon care from the most vulnerable to pay for tax cuts that only the wealthiest Americans will benefit from. Alarm bells should be raised that congress has exempted themselves from this bill. If they don't want it, neither should Americans.
Republican senators are listed and highlighted because they are the ones drafting and deciding the fate of AHCA. No one- no Republican, Democrat, or Independent should have to face the horrors of this bill.
Everyone, no matter party affiliation, should call their Senators to demand they oppose this bill or ask them to be more vocal in opposing the bill. Call now and call often. Less than 3 weeks. We only have less than 3 weeks.
Congressional Switchboard #: 202-224-3121