Barack Obama Criticizes Republican Health Care Plan Draft, Citing It Will Do More Harm than Good
From the start, Republican senators’ efforts to create a new health care plan that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act was met with much unpopularity from the nation, particularly those the draft left disadvantaged. But, the efforts of the Trump Administration to erase Obama’s legacy must also include getting rid of his flawed but effective Obamacare plan in lieu of a plan reflective of Trump’s own administration and legacy.
An earlier draft of the bill was passed through the House of Representatives, but garnered a lot of criticism. The draft released to the public today doesn’t seem to be far off that mark in terms of the criticism it’s been drawing in. Policy changes that could be damaging to most Americans are still in effect, namely proposed cuts of federal funding to Planned Parenthood, as well as a nearly trillion dollar cut to Medicaid over the course of the next decade – Buzzfeed News reports.
American Civil Liberties Union National Political Director Faiz Shakir had this to say in a statement: “By eviscerating Medicaid, this bill threatens the liberty of people with disabilities, who will be forced to live in nursing homes and institutions instead of their own homes. By defunding Planned Parenthood, this bill threatens the health of 2.5 million women and men in our country, many of whom rely on the health centers as their only source of care. And by throwing tens of millions of people off their insurance, this bill disproportionately impacts communities of color who will lose access to care and coverage.”
Thursday afternoon (June 22), former President 44 shared an open letter via Facebook where he also shared his disdain for what the lengthy bill was seeking to do. He also touched on the process of getting his Affordable Care Act passed, even comparing how shrouded in secrecy the Republican camp’s attempt to write a bill has been versus his. “We didn’t fight for the Affordable Care Act for more than a year in the public square for any personal or political gain. We fought for it because we knew it would save lives, prevent financial misery, and ultimately set this country we love on a better, healthier course,” he wrote.
The bill repeals most of what Obamacare put into action, removing guarantees on coverage for things like prenatal care and addiction treatment, for example. Additional cuts will be made to public health services, while generous tax cuts will be given to the wealthy.
“Simply put,” Obama continued, “If there’s a chance you might get sick, get old, or start a family – this bill will do you harm.”
Still, the 142-page draft is on the table and will reportedly be voted on as early as next week.
Read what Obama had to say about the proposed bill in full below.
Photo Credit: PR Photos
