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Number of uninsured people would rise
By Santa Fe Today | May 24, 2017
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that enacting H.R. 1628, American Health Care Act of 2017 legislation—which would repeal or modify many provisions of the Affordable Care Act—would reduce federal deficits by $119 billion over the coming decade.
CBO and JCT estimate that in 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under the legislation than under current law. After additional changes to subsidies for insurance purchased in the nongroup market and to the Medicaid program took effect, the increase in the number of uninsured people would rise to 19 million in 2020 and then to 23 million in 2026.
Statement by Congressman Ben R. Lujan
“According to the new Congressional Budget Office cost analysis released today – the news for those supporting Trumpcare has not gotten better; in fact, it’s gotten worse – under this misguided plan, 23 million Americans will likely lose health care coverage altogether, millions more will see premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs rise dramatically, many seniors, families with children, and those battling substance abuse will be priced out of the market and 1 out of every 2 Americans will once again be discriminated against because of their pre-existing conditions.”
Statement by United States Senator Martin Heinrich
“Today’s score from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirms again just how catastrophic TrumpCare could be for millions of American families. TrumpCare would strip 14 million of their health insurance next year and 23 million by 2026, all to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. That’s reckless and inexcusable. Americans deserve far better than this disaster of a bill that would be harmful to our economy and our communities. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to scrap this bill and work with Democrats on providing quality and affordable health care to working families.”
Statement by United States Senator Tom Udall
“Today’s CBO report confirms that TrumpCare would be an utter disaster for New Mexico and the nation, and it proves that President Trump has shattered his promise to provide health care for all Americans and protect Medicaid. TrumpCare would massively increase the cost of health insurance for people who are older and low-income — as much as 800 percent! — while cutting costs for the healthiest and wealthiest. It isn’t a health care bill at all, it’s a massive tax cut for the richest Americans, balanced on the backs of working families.
“The numbers in today’s report are staggering: seniors, women, people with pre-existing conditions and those least able to afford health care would lose coverage or pay significantly more for worse policies. The bill would destabilize the market for a staggering one in six Americans by 2020, resulting in 14 million more uninsured Americans by next year alone, and 23 million more Americans without insurance by 2026. Maternity care, mental health and substance abuse treatment are among the health care services that could increase by thousands of dollars in a given year, putting them out of reach for millions of people.
“TrumpCare’s consequences for New Mexico would be especially dire, cancelling health care for at least 265,000 New Mexicans who have health insurance today thanks to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. TrumpCare would hit rural New Mexicans particularly hard, drastically reducing access to care by forcing rural hospitals to close. And, TrumpCare could deal a devastating blow to our state’s economy, destroying nearly 32,000 jobs and possibly sending New Mexico back into a recession.
“Given the stark and dismal picture painted by this CBO score, it’s no wonder that Republicans rushed to jam TrumpCare through the House before holding a hearing and seeing the CBO analysis. But here in the Senate, I am going to fight tooth and nail to ensure that we defeat TrumpCare – or any bill like it – once and for all.”
