Washington, D.C. — Topher Spiro, vice president of health policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement after release of a partial Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson health care bill:
This nightmarish bill is the worst version of a repeal bill yet to be introduced in Congress. According to the partial CBO score, the revised Graham-Cassidy bill would slash Affordable Care Act (ACA) funding by $230 billion dollars through 2026 and slash total Medicaid funding by $1 trillion through 2026. The CBO also confirms that the bill fails the so-called Jimmy Kimmel test, leaving people with pre-existing conditions at risk of losing coverage or paying exorbitant costs.
Republican leaders are trying to force through a bill that will affect one-sixth of the economy—without sufficient time for the nonpartisan CBO to fully review its impact. The entire American health care system, every patient group, and governors of both parties reject this partisan approach.
It’s time to kill this bill for good and get back to improving the ACA and stabilizing markets.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Devon Kearns at 202.741.6290 or [email protected].