Dear Mr. Austin:
In the past you have contacted my office regarding efforts to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). I write today to update you on recent developments on this topic.
As you may be aware, the Senate majority plans to bring their health care scheme to a vote after the Senate returns from the July 4 recess. The proposal of the Senate majority was developed without hearings, with no amendments from the minority and without adequate opportunity for public input. The proposal would have significant damaging effects and is being advanced despite polls showing broad public opposition. If successful, it will decimate the health insurance of millions of Americans and shred important protections that individuals have come to count on, in Pennsylvania and throughout our Nation.
The majority in Congress is attempting to advance this legislation through an expedited process known as “budget reconciliation.” This process allows the Senate majority to advance its proposal with special procedures which limit debate on the proposal and allow the legislation to advance without the support of a single member of the minority.
The House of Representatives passed their health care plan, the American Healthcare Act, on May 4, 2017. The legislation, which President Trump has endorsed, is inconsistent with a number of promises that he has made, first as a candidate and then as President. For example, the legislation allows health insurance companies to discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions, cuts over $800 billion from the Medicaid Program, and undermines Medicare’s financing, which increases the chance that others may seek Medicare cuts in the future to forestall insolvency. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the legislation would also cause 23 million people to lose health insurance and would raise costs for millions more.
Following House passage, the American Healthcare Act came to the Senate, where the majority opted to develop its own plan. A group of thirteen Senators spent two months meeting in secret to develop this new scheme, the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The minority was not invited to be a part of this process. This is in stark contrast to the process used to formulate the Affordable Care Act. In 2009, the ACA passed the Senate after a year-long open process that included a total of 44 bipartisan hearings, roundtables and summits in the Senate Committees of jurisdiction; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Finance. Senate consideration of the ACA also included over a month of Committee markups that led to the consideration of 435 amendments offered by both the majority and the minority, and a full debate on the Senate floor that lasted over 25 consecutive days.
The Senate majority released the Better Care Reconciliation Act to the public on June 22. The proposal will allow the states to strip key consumer protections from the ACA; increase out-of-pocket costs; take away coverage for substance abuse treatment, which is vital in combatting the opioid epidemic; and drastically increase costs for seniors by implementing an age tax on their health care. Further, this scheme will decimate Medicaid, hurting children, individuals with disabilities and hospitals throughout our state. Although the Senate majority claimed they would completely rewrite the House legislation, in reality, the Better Care Reconciliation Act closely resembles the House proposal. Like the House bill, it cuts health care for millions of middle class Americans and their families in order to provide tax cuts to wealthy Americans. After years of making significant strides in improving our health care system, this is not the direction we should take.
It appears that the majority in the Senate will seek final passage of its legislation after the July 4 recess. I remain hopeful that members of the majority will listen to their constituents and carefully consider how this plan will negatively impact the communities they represent. I hope that instead of considering this proposal, the majority might get serious, end their focus on repealing the ACA and work in a bipartisan way to keep what is working with the health care system and fix what is not.
The upcoming vote may be a major turning point for the health of our Nation. Patients, advocates, health care providers and the general public should have adequate opportunity to shape any plan that emerges from the Senate. The current process has not allowed for that. Further, any changes to our health care system must maintain or expand coverage, quality and care. The Senate majority’s scheme does not meet that standard, and I will continue to fight it with everything I have.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator
No comments:
Post a Comment