A Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation report published Monday estimates that enacting the American Health Care Act (AHCA) or “Trumpcare”would reduce federal deficits by $337 billion over the coming decade and increase the number of people who are uninsured by 24 million in 2026 relative to current law.
These findings contradict Trump’s repeated promises that the Republican alternative would provide universal coverage and lower prices for Americans.
As far as what effects the AHCA would have on health insurance coverage the report states:
CBO and JCT estimate that, in 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under the legislation than under current law. Most of that increase would stem from repealing the penalties associated with the individual mandate. Some of those people would choose not to have insurance because they chose to be covered by insurance under current law only to avoid paying the penalties, and some people would forgo insurance in response to higher premiums.
Later, following additional changes to subsidies for insurance purchased in the nongroup market and to the Medicaid program, the increase in the number of uninsured people relative to the number under current law would rise to 21 million in 2020 and then to 24 million in 2026. The reductions in insurance coverage between 2018 and 2026 would stem in large part from changes in Medicaid enrollment—because some states would discontinue their expansion of eligibility, some states that would have expanded eligibility in the future would choose not to do so, and per-enrollee spending in the program would be capped. In 2026, an estimated 52 million people would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.
Following the release of the CBO report, Rep. Barbara Lee (D–CA 13th District) called “Trumpcare” a “sham” saying,
“Today, the Congressional Budget Office confirmed our worst fears: Republicans’ plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act will bring chaos to our health care system and steal insurance from millions. One thing is certain – Trumpcare is a sham. Their plan asks Americans to pay more money for less coverage and leaves the poor without life-saving medical care.
“There is simply no excuse for allowing Republicans to rip healthcare from 24 million Americans, especially when the Affordable Care Act is already working and saving lives. For over seven years, the Republican Party has vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with more effective policy. Today, their cruel campaign has been exposed for what it is: a heartless handout to billionaires and pharmaceutical executives on the backs of the most vulnerable.”
Cristóbal J. Alex, president of the Latino Victory Fund, issued the following statement in response: “The CBO’s estimate makes clear that TrumpCare will cause serious harm to millions of Latinos. Twenty-four million Americans will lose their coverage, and millions more, particularly our abuelitas and abuelitos, will have to pay more and get less health care benefits while the wealthiest individuals and corporations of this country will be handed a $900 billion tax cut.
“Republicans spent seven years railing against the Affordable Care Act. Now that they control Congress and the Presidency, rather than improving the health care bill to help those caught in the gaps, they’ve chosen to rip away life-saving health care coverage from the most vulnerable members of our society. Make no mistake: this plan will hurt Latinos, working Americans, and ironically, the Trump supporters who were begging for repeal.”
