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Cohen: House GOP Healthcare Plan Takes From the Poor and Gives to the Rich

March 7, 2017

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement on the House Republicans' legislation to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA):

"The tax credits offered by the new House Republican health care plan aren't going to cut it. Many in Shelby County are going to see their health care costs increase by an average of $410 a year under the new Republican bill. It shamefully takes from the poor and gives to the rich. It cuts funding for Medicaid while giving large tax cuts to the rich. It also gives a huge tax break to health insurers for bonuses they give to their executives. Meanwhile, if your health insurance lapses, the bill allows insurers to charge you up to 30 percent more, and allows insurers to start charging more to consumers between 50 to 64 years of age. Planned Parenthood would lose federal funding, making it more difficult for women to receive preventative health services such as mammograms, HIV testing, and access to birth control. The independent Congressional Budget Office has yet to release how much the GOP health care bill will cost taxpayers or how many people would gain or lose health care coverage, yet Republicans are moving forward with it anyway. This is politics above health, and it is wrong."