Virginia’s two Democratic U.S. senators were quick to blast the proposed health care bill on Thursday while Tennessee’s two Republican senators said there’s a need to repeal and resolve the Affordable Care Act currently in place.
On Thursday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced the health care bill that would overhaul the American health care system.
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said he planned to review the draft legislation and wait for the Congressional Budget Office report.
“To begin with, the draft Senate health care bill makes no change in the law protecting people with pre-existing conditions, no change in Medicare benefits, and increases Medicaid funding at the rate of inflation,” Alexander said in a statement.
He said the draft also repeals several aspects of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Alexander said the bill repeals the employer mandate penalty, the medical device tax and health insurance tax. He said it provides more money for hospitals that serve low-income residents who don’t have insurance and provides new funding for opioid abuse issues.
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U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said that with the current health care system, families in Tennessee and across the country face rising costs and have limited choices.
“Congress has a responsibility to resolve these issues and stabilize the individual insurance market, and over the next several days, I will take time to fully review the legislative text and seek input from a wide range of stakeholders across our state,” Corker said in a statement.
The senator said he would make his final decision based on whether the legislation is better than what is in place today.
The proposal would kick millions of people off their insurance, raise health care costs for Virginians, especially seniors, and leave states on the hook for hundreds of dollars for Medicaid, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D- Va., said Thursday in a statement.
The proposal would also give the wealthiest Americans a huge tax break, he said.
“Instead of trying to jam this bad bill through Congress on a party-line vote, President [Donald] Trump and Senate Republicans should work with Democrats to strengthen and improve the Affordable Care Act,” Warner said.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine said the Senate Republicans kept the health care bill completely secret from the American people.
“This bill isn’t just mean; it’s cruel,” Kaine said.
In addition, Kaine said the bill would slash Medicaid, hurt the 22,000 Virginians who rely on Planned Parenthood for health care, weaken health benefits, and raise health costs for families.
On Wednesday, Kaine said Medicaid funding to school districts in Virginia would be in jeopardy if the bill passes. Schools in Southwest Virginia receive Medicaid funding, including $322,572.84 for the Washington County school system and $44,069.41 for Bristol Virginia schools.
U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., said he had not yet seen the proposed bill. On Medicaid funding, Griffith said it’s not known whether schools would lose the money.