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How Would the Health Care 'Plans' Being Debated by Senate Republicans Affect You? - And, How to Make Your Voice Heard
The vote on a motion to open floor debate resulted in a 50-50 tie vote of all Senators, broken by Vice President Mike Pence’s vote in favor of opening debate. All Democrats, along with Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted against opening floor debate on these undeveloped legislative proposals at this time.
As late as yesterday and today, Republican Senators have been quoted as saying they had no idea what proposals would be debated or voted on or what is contained in the various “Plans” that may be presented for a vote by Senator Mitch McConnell (R- KY), the Senate Majority Leader (pictured at left)
According to reporting today by Reuters and by Vox, there appear to be three different options that Senator McConnell may be contemplating bringing to a vote:
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If any of these proposals were adopted into law, how would they affect you?
Option 1 – “Skinny Repeal”
Very little is known about what might be included in such a proposal, apparently being worked on by Senator McConnell behind closed doors. But, lobbyists indicate that Senator McConnell may be contemplating “[e]liminating the penalty for Obamacare’s individual mandate — possibly along with its employer mandate and some of its taxes on the health care industry,” Vox reports.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that repealing the individual mandate under the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, alone, would have the effect of leaving 15 million Americans who currently have health insurance uninsured within 10 years from now.
Insurance industry experts indicate that without requiring relatively healthy younger people to purchase health insurance, to offset the costs of insuring older less healthy individuals, the Health Insurance Marketplace of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act would likely collapse, leaving millions more who now have health insurance uninsured.
Option 2 – Repeal of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act with No Replacement
This option, as previously introduced in the House, is known as H.R. 1628, the Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act of 2017 (“ORRA”).
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that passing this bill into law would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 17 million in 2018, and by 32 million in 2026. That means that this Republican proposal, by next year, would take health care insurance away from 17 million people who have it today, and by 2026 would take health care insurance away from 32 million people who have health insurance today.
Option 3 – Repeal and Replace the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act by Draft Legislation referred to as the “Better Care Reconciliation Act, or BCRA“
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has published a report on this bill, finding that it would “increase the number of people who are uninsured by 22 million in 2026 relative to current law.”
The nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation has published a significant Issue Brief entitled, “How the Senate Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) Could Affect Coverage and Premiums for Older Adults.” It is must-reading for anyone in their 50′s or 60′s – which we know includes most family caregivers.
Some of Kaiser Foundations findings about the “Senate Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA)” include the following:
For further information on the BCRA, see the Kaiser Foundation’s report entitled, “Summary of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017″.
Public Opinion
Polls show that the Republican proposals are very unpopular with the American people.
According to reporting by the Washington Examiner, a new poll released by NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist measuring views on the Republican BCRA shows that “Only 17 percent of Americans approve of Senate Republicans’ healthcare bill.”
The poll found that only 35 percent of Republicans approve of the bill, and only 13 percent of independents and only 8 percent of Democrats approve of the bill.
Many Medical Groups, insurers, and other interest groups are actively opposing the legislation. According to reporting by CNN, Groups actively opposed to the Republican legislation include, among others:
In addition, a group of over 7,000 Catholic Sisters from all 50 states recently delivered a letter to the Senate “urging senators to vote against any bill that repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or cuts Medicaid,” according to the National Catholic Reporter. See Don’t repeal, don’t reduce the ACA, say US sisters.
How to Make Your Voice Heard
If you are among the majority of Americans who disapprove of the Republican plans to repeal or to repeal and replace the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), you can make your voice heard in time to have an impact on this legislation.
Here are a few resources to help you contact your Senators and Congressmen to voice your concerns: