U.S Rep. Charlie Crist branded the Republican proposal as the “Don’t Care” health plan.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Reps. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, said Republicans need to go back to the drawing board to craft a better health care proposal.

Crist made his comments Monday (March 13) in the wake of a report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office that the proposed American Health Care Act would save $337 billion over the coming decade but cause 14 million people to lose insurance coverage in 2018. That number would escalate to an estimated total of 24 million being uninsured in 2026 once further changes to subsidies and Medicaid go into effect.

At the same time, those with coverage would see higher out-of-pocket costs, including higher deductibles and premium increases of 15 percent to 20 percent, Crist said. The bill also would cut $880 billion from Medicaid, gutting the program that 70 million low-income Americans depend on for care, including seniors and individuals with disabilities.

Crist’s statement:

“The score from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirms our worst fears. The Republicans’ ‘Don’t Care’ health plan means fewer Americans with access to lifesaving care, doubling the uninsured rate across the country, and raising deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.

“This legislation is terrible for those in their golden years, our seniors.  And most distressing is how this bill treats the poor and the disabled of our society. The Gospel of Matthew teaches us that we will be judged by how we treat the ‘least of these.’ But this bill treats the least among us in the most inhumane way possible. At some point, its authors and supporters will have to answer to a higher power as to why they did this, with no acceptable defense.

“It’s time for Republicans to go back to the drawing board and put people over politics. We need to work together to strengthen healthcare, not tear it apart to simply fulfill a campaign promise.”

Crist represents the 13th Congressional District, which covers portions of mid- and south Pinellas County.

To read the CBO analysis of the proposal, go to cbo.gov.

For information about Crist, go to crist.house.gov.

Charlie Crist | American Health Care Act | Health Care | Health Insurance | TB Reporter

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