ICYMI – Tom Perez’s full statement on the CBO score:

“The CBO further confirms that the Senate health care repeal will drive up costs for middle-class families all while stripping away health care from 22 million people. It is a disaster for women, older Americans, and people with pre-existing conditions, and threatens essential health services like maternity care, substance-abuse addiction treatment, and mental health service.

“Health care is a right for all Americans, not a privilege for a wealthy few. That’s why President Obama and Democrats fought to pass the Affordable Care Act and expand health coverage for millions of working families. While Republicans play politics with people’s lives, Democrats will continue fighting to protect health care for all Americans. We can’t turn back now.”

  • The bill is going to hurt people with pre-existing conditions. The bill will allow insurers to offer watered down plans by allowing states to opt out of providing essential health benefits

o    Essential health benefits cover services like maternity care, substance abuse treatment and mental health care.

  • Millions of people are going to lose coverage. The bill ends ACA’s Medicaid expansion and makes even deeper program cuts than the House version.

o    This will devastate rural and low-income Americans, the elderly and people with disabilities.

  • The bill will hurt the middle class. The Republican bill will reduce subsidies and tax credits that currently help working Americans afford their premiums.

o    Spending cuts in the bill would also pose a threat to rural areas in particular, potentially triggering hospital job losses that would have knock-on effects for schools and property values.

  • People’s deductibles and co-pays will go up. The Republican bill will provide people with skimpier plans with fewer protections.

o    This will cause many people to pay more out of pocket for less coverage.

  • The consequences for women’s health are flat out dangerous. It cuts funding for essential health services for women and could leave pregnant women without the guarantee of maternity coverage.
  • This is all a big tax cut for the rich. The Republican bill gives billions in tax breaks to the wealthy and special interests, including health insurance companies that pay their CEOs over $500,000.
  • Democrats will continue fighting to protect health care for all Americans while Republicans continue to play politics with people’s lives. Senate Democrats have long stood ready to work with their Republican counterparts to improve our health care system and cover more people, not less.