Senate Republicans’ Secret Health Care Bill Will Increase Costs, Decrease Coverage, and put Coloradan Lives at Risk in Order to Cut Taxes for the Wealthy
DENVER—After several weeks of secret negotiations, the Senate version of the American Health Care Act has been released and is being rushed to a vote. In response to this undemocratic process and deeply concerning bill, Center for Health Progress released the below statement:
“Over the past five years, Colorado has made significant progress toward ensuring our health care system works for all Coloradans. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act and its expansion of Medicaid, the number of uninsured Coloradans has decreased by more than 50% and more Coloradans than ever can afford to access the primary, preventive, and specialty care they need to get and stay healthy. These gains would be drastically reversed if the changes outlined in the House and Senate health care bills pass.”
“These bills would take insurance away from hundreds of thousands of Coloradans, add a huge financial burden on our state budget, and let insurance companies discriminate against patients again. By crafting its bill in secrecy and forcing a vote without debate—which hasn’t happened in 75 years—Senate Republicans are betraying our democratic values in order to give tax breaks to the wealthiest.”
“At Center for Health Progress, we believe our health care system should work for all Coloradans, and we’re closer to that goal than ever before, thanks to the expansions of coverage and consumer protections put in place by the Affordable Care Act. We encourage our elected officials to prioritize the protection of Medicaid and financial assistance for the Coloradans who need it most. Let’s concentrate on passing on good public policy that builds on the progress of the past several years and moves us closer to health equity, not further from it.”