Neither Health, Nor Care: PHI Statement on CBO Scoring of House Health Care Proposal

STATEMENT FROM MATTHEW MARSOM, PHI VICE PRESIDENT FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND PROGRAMS

“Today’s scoring by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms what doctors, hospitals, public health organizations and the American public know: the proposed Republican ‘health care’ plan does not promote health, or care, for many Americans.

“By rolling back Medicaid and offering small subsidies that won’t cover costs—an average subsidy will be 60% of that offered under the Affordable Care Act currently—the  CBO estimates that within 10 years 24 million people will no longer have health care coverage.

“Those who can afford plans will find the inequities stark: Older, sicker and poorer people will pay more; while younger, healthier and wealthier people pay less.

“The CBO does not include future costs of skyrocketing health illnesses in its cost assessments. Still, it is clear that the proposed elimination of the Prevention and Public Health Fund will cost millions in untreated and undiagnosed preventable health conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Those costs will erode any ‘savings’ gained by denying health care coverage to millions.

“Less coverage, higher costs and reduced capacity to prevent illness: This is a prescription for a health disaster. We stand opposed.”