Proposed Bill
Proposed on March 6, 2017
Summary
The draft of the Republican alternative to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) removes the individual mandate put in place to keep costs low in the insurance marketplace. Instead, the bill allows insurance companies to charge for a lapse in coverage. The bill also retains federal tax credits to help people afford insurance, but calculates credits based on age, not income. Some provisions of the ACA that remain are ensuring coverage for people with preexisting conditions and allowing young adults to remain on their parents’ insurance. Medicaid expansion would exist until 2020 and would then shift to a “per capita allotment” program. LEARN MORE
Analysis
The American Medical Association expressed their opposition, citing concerns of millions losing their insurance, that the rollback of Medicaid would harm states and low-income patients, and that tax credits corresponding to age, instead of income, would be insufficient for helping people afford insurance. Four Republican senators, whose states expanded Medicaid under ACA, have said they would not support the bill in its current state. Nancy Pelosi warned: “[t]he way they wrote the bill, the richest in America will get a big tax break and it will come at the expense of benefits being deprived of middle and low-income families.” LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- People Power – Register for Resistance Training being offered by the ACLU on March 11, 2017.
- 5 Calls – Sign up for 5 Calls and they will provide you with the phone number for the most appropriate lawmaker in your area and scripts regarding different health care concerns to make sure your voice is heard by your representatives.
This brief was compiled by Elizabeth Kiefer. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact elizabeth@usresistnews.org.
