GOP health care plan study again splits Oregon lawmakers

A new Congressional Budget Office study Monday that found 14 million fewer Americans would have health insurance next year under the Republicans’ proposed Obamacare replacement drew an expected party-line reaction among Oregon lawmakers: Democrats said it proved their point about the proposal’s negative impacts, while the lone Republican representative said it was too early to make judgments.

“The CBO score confirms what many feared: Trumpcare is an awful deal for the American people,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.

“It will leave 24 million Americans (by 2026) in the cold with no health insurance, despite promises that everybody would be covered,” Wyden said. “It would raise out-of-pocket costs by thousands of dollars for many more, especially older Americans, despite promises that nobody would be worse off financially.”

“Trumpcare pulls the plug on Medicaid by cutting $880 billion from the program, threatening care for seniors who need nursing home and home-based care, children, individuals with disabilities, and many others,” he added

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said in his statement, “Now we know why Republicans worked so hard to hide the truth about their bill. This report by the non-partisan CBO, whose director was handpicked by Donald Trump’s own Health and Human Services secretary, sounds the alarm that life-and-death care is at risk for millions.

“Under this Trumpcare plan, 24 million Americans will lose their health care coverage, and with it, the assurance that they will be able to receive the care they need if they develop a life-threatening medical condition.

“Under this Trumpcare plan, health insurance premiums will spiral out of control for Americans over 50, and American families will have higher deductibles and pay more out of pocket. But the very richest Americans will receive a tax windfall worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

“Millions kicked off their coverage, skyrocketing premiums and deductibles — all to hand an enormous tax giveaway to the wealthy and well-connected,” Merkley said. “That is what this bill is truly about, and that is what its sponsors don’t want you to know.

“All Americans who care about the future of their health care should pay attention to the contents of this report, and let their representatives know that what they want is quality, affordable health care–not another back-room giveaway to special interests and the wealthy,” Merkley concluded.

Gov. Kate Brown ‘s statement:

“This bill will needlessly harm millions of Americans by increasing the prices for insurance 15-20 percent next year and eliminating important jobs in our critical health care sector. It will especially harm rural Oregon, which is just starting to recover from a prolonged economic downturn,” Brown said.

“What’s more, during a month when we are celebrating the contributions women have made in America, I am disturbed to learn that under this plan 15 percent of American women would lose access to care. This is simply unacceptable.

“The Congressional Budget Office’s report makes it clear that Congress should not support this bill until they can ensure American’s will be protected under any kind of health care replacement. The Oregon Health Authority and Department of Consumer Business Services are examining the CBO report and will deliver a comprehensive analysis, performed at my direction, this Thursday,” the governor concluded.

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., the Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, issued this statement on the Congressional Budget Office’s score of the American Health Care Act:

“The American Health Care Act is the first step in our plan to bring down costs and restore the relationship between patients and their doctors.

“This report confirms that we are keeping our promise to begin tackling skyrocketing health care premiums and providing families with more choices by repairing insurance markets that were destroyed by Obamacare.

“Additionally, our legislation would reduce the deficit and, for the first time, put Medicaid on a sustainable path, strengthening the program and focusing it on those it was intended to help, our nation’s most vulnerable,” Walden said.

“The Congressional Budget Office has not yet analyzed our entire proposal to repeal and replace Obamacare, and today’s score reflects only a portion of the actions we will take to roll back red tape, free markets, and empower consumers.

“Unlike Obamacare, we will not mandate Americans buy insurance plans they don’t want and can’t afford. Instead, we are working to create a system that gives all Americans access to affordable care and the ability to make the decisions that are right for their families,” Walden concluded.