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Health Providers Denounce G.O.P. Bill as House Panels Get to Work
WASHINGTON — Two key House committees began formally drafting a repeal of the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday morning, even as the nation’s largest doctors’ group and a coalition of hospitals came out strongly against the Republican plan for replacing the law.
Leaders of the committees — Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce — portrayed the replacement bill in their opening statements as one that would rescue Americans from health coverage that had grown far too expensive and limited, painting a dire portrait of the nation’s health care system under the signature domestic achievement of President Barack Obama. But Democrats immediately began building their case against the legislation, emphasizing its elimination of taxes on businesses and high earners that have financed the Affordable Care Act.
“This bill suffers from an identity crisis,” said Representative Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee. “Is this health care, or is this a tax cut bill?”
Since congressional Republicans released the repeal-and-replace plan on Monday, a stream of medical and health advocacy groups, as well as the AARP, have come out against it. Supporters of the bill so far are largely limited to those who will most directly benefit from its passage — groups that represent industries and individuals whose taxes will be cut, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Tax Reform, a conservative anti-tax group.
Leaders of the committees — Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce — portrayed the replacement bill in their opening statements as one that would rescue Americans from health coverage that had grown far too expensive and limited, painting a dire portrait of the nation’s health care system under the signature domestic achievement of President Barack Obama. But Democrats immediately began building their case against the legislation, emphasizing its elimination of taxes on businesses and high earners that have financed the Affordable Care Act.
“This bill suffers from an identity crisis,” said Representative Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee. “Is this health care, or is this a tax cut bill?”
Since congressional Republicans released the repeal-and-replace plan on Monday, a stream of medical and health advocacy groups, as well as the AARP, have come out against it. Supporters of the bill so far are largely limited to those who will most directly benefit from its passage — groups that represent industries and individuals whose taxes will be cut, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Tax Reform, a conservative anti-tax group.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/us/politics/affordable-care-act-obama-care-health.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
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