***For Immediate Release***
March 14, 2017
Contact, Jeff Sheldon
Communications Director, Nebraska Appleseed
Office: (402) 438-8853
Mobile: (402) 840-7289
Email: jsheldon@neappleseed.org
Nebraska Appleseed Statement on House health care bill
CBO score confirms ACA replacement would have devastating effects on Nebraskans’ health care
LINCOLN — Monday evening, the Congressional Budget Office released its score of the House of Representatives’ American Health Care Act (AHCA). The score projected 24 million Americans would lose health insurance by 2026, and Medicaid would be cut by $880 billion. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates Nebraska would face one of the nation’s sharpest cuts to premium tax credits that help people afford coverage – over $4,000 per person.
Nebraska Appleseed Executive Director Rebecca Gould issued the following statement in response:
“This scoring confirms the House’s health care bill will have devastating effects on the ability of tens of thousands of Nebraskans to get the health care they need,” Gould said. “Our older adults, children, and people with low incomes would be the hardest hit, with thousands of people seeing insurance prices spike and losing their life-saving coverage.
“The bill’s cuts to Medicaid will have especially damaging effects. The AHCA would end a long-standing partnership between the state and federal government that has ensured our most vulnerable people could get the care they need. Instead, the AHCA shifts enormous costs to the state, making it likely that important health services could no longer be covered or thousands of seniors, children, and Nebraskans with disabilities may be unable to get insurance.
“We strongly urge Nebraska’s members of Congress to oppose this bill and work to create a solution that will allow hard-working Nebraskans to keep their coverage and makes sure our most vulnerable people will have quality insurance.”
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