The proposal:
- Retains Medicaid cuts that drew the ire of moderate Republicans and others.
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- Adopts a plan proposed by conservative U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to allow insurance companies to sell cheaper, more bare-bones plans as long as they offer a comprehensive plan as well. Critics say this will destabilize the insurance markets and lead to higher costs for older, sicker people.
- Retains taxes on the wealthy included in the Affordable Care Act.
- Adds money for states to help with increased premiums and out of pocket costs, as well as more money for anti-opioid addiction efforts.
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- Faces an uphill battle as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky tries to stitch together a plan that will please both conservatives and moderates and get at least 50 votes of the 52 Republicans in the U.S. Senate.
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Here’s what Ohio’s two senators had to say about the proposal:
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio
“Just yesterday, I met with Ohio families whose children were born with diseases or disabilities that require special healthcare needs for the rest of their lives. Last week in Cincinnati, I sat across from a man who told me that without the Medicaid expansion, his daughter would have died from an opioid overdose. In Toledo, I talked to hard-working people over 50 who can’t afford an age tax that allows insurers to charge them five times more. How can a bunch of Washington politicians with taxpayer-funded healthcare look these people in the eye and tell them ‘we’re going to let insurance companies refuse to cover your child’s care’? How can they say ‘we’re gutting the best tool we have to combat the opioid crisis’? How can they raise costs on hard-working people just because they turn 50?”
“I’m ready to work with Republicans to lower costs and make healthcare work better, but that’s not what this bill does.”
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio
“My goal is to create a more workable system that lowers the cost of coverage, provides access to quality care, and protects the most vulnerable in our society. I’ll review the text of this new legislation just like I did the last version, and I will review the analysis from the Congressional Budget Office when it becomes available."
“I opposed the last draft of the Senate health proposal because I had concerns about the measure’s Medicaid policies, especially those that impact drug treatment for those suffering from addiction. I’ve also consistently said that the Affordable Care Act isn’t working for many Ohio families and small businesses whose premiums and deductibles have skyrocketed, and choices have disappeared as health insurance plans have left Ohio. As this process moves forward, I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that our health care system works better for all Ohioans.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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