Forgive me for being a bit of an alarmist, folks. Hopefully, by the time you get to the end of reading this, you’ll understand that this is serious. Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its final score on the latest iteration of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) passed recently by House Republicans.
I recently wrote about how bad earlier proposals were. Today, however, the CBO report detailed just how horrific the recently passed legislation would be.
In short, the new CBO report says that the American Health Care Act (AHCA) would be as effective at delivering affordable healthcare as a toxic mix of heroin, fentanyl, and cyanide coursing through our veins. In other words, to put it mildly, it’s going cause death. If you don’t die, you’ll suffer without access to a doctor.
With 23 million people losing coverage in 2017 and premiums increasing 20% – 800% for the elderly – it’s like an ice cream topped with sprinkles of fine glass, misery, and rat turds. Yet, House Republicans drank champagne and celebrated at the White House with Trump after passing this bill as anyone at a funeral would. Because, well, compassionate conservatism and love.
On the plus side, however, the CBO report estimates that the new bill would decrease the deficit by $119 billion over 10 years. Even better, according to VOX, the AHCA would also cut taxes by $662 billion over the next decade. This is according to a separate analysis also released Wednesday by the Joint Committee on Taxation. This was what this was about all along.
The bill cuts $834 billion in Medicaid spending. But hey, as long as the wealthy get theirs, 14 million fewer people on Medicaid isn’t a big deal. After all, it’s all about helping the wealthy with tax cuts. Why even worry about the elderly or disabled Americans being forced to get jobs.
According to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the changes in the new bill cost about $20,800 per new person covered, per year. By contrast, Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion costs about $6,365 per newly eligible adult. So essentially, while it cuts the deficit, the AHCA will cost the government more than Obamacare. It will because it allows insurance companies to cover fewer services. This doesn’t bode well for Americas. Especially the sick and elderly.
Paul Ryan declared, “This CBO report again confirms that the American Health Care Act achieves our mission: lowering premiums and lowering the deficit.”
Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, by contrast, disputed the CBO score. “The CBO was wrong when they analyzed Obamacare’s effect on cost and coverage, and they are wrong again,” said Price. So here’s the question: Who’s telling the truth? The short answer: Neither of them is.
The CBO Report Gives Us the Ability to Act
Republicans are attempting to sell the idea that the ACHA is like Ebola, but good for us. Not even someone stupid enough to vote for Donald Trump is stupid enough to buy that sell. It’s the reason House Republicans were met with furious constituents at town halls in recent weeks. To ensure that this bill doesn’t pass the Senate, I encourage you to call your Senator and voice your displeasure. Most Senate Republicans represent states that largely benefited from Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. They can’t afford to lose Medicaid funds.
That fact makes them vulnerable in the midterm elections. Should they decide to adopt a similar version of the House bill, they’ll be in trouble. It currently looks bad for House Republicans in 2018. Senate Republicans can’t afford to put their political careers on the line. Let’s bombard their offices with phone calls.