The secret healthcare bill is out. Monday night, House Republicans finally released their plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and now it’s being rushed through committee, after being kept under lock and key with the details and cost hidden from members of Congress and the public.
What’s the rush?
The lack of hearings, cost estimates and sufficient time to review the language would be problematic in any situation. But a bill that takes away healthcare from Americans in order to give tax breaks to the wealthy should not be pushed ahead without thorough review and informed debate.
With Republican control of both chambers of Congress, with Donald Trump in the White House and Tom Price as health and human services secretary, this bill could actually become law.
The consequences would be disastrous, and Americans know it. Of course the ACA had its problems and needed to be fixed, but this plan does none of that. It rips healthcare away from Americans to give huge tax breaks to the wealthy, which is about as cruel as it gets. This isn’t a healthcare plan—it’s a massive giveaway to insurance companies and those at the top, while it hits America’s families with a triple whammy of less coverage, higher costs and more taxes. This bill will potentially leave millions without coverage. Not only that, some want to radically restructure Medicare and Medicaid while they’re at it.
Our voices are making a difference. Throughout the country, people are calling and writing their elected officials, and showing up at congressional offices and town hall meetings to share their personal stories about how the ACA gave them or a loved one access to affordable health insurance, many for the very first time.
