Sen. Debbie Stabenow said Monday that Republicans’ changes to their health care proposal will still not make it likely to pass.
“I doubt it, but they’re changing again today. I go back today to a Finance Committee hearing on the original bill, which they are now changing again, and everything we’ve seen is only worse,” Ms. Stabenow, Michigan Democrat, said on MSNBC.
In addition to not providing adequate protections for those with pre-existing conditions, the plan would not actually save states money and it would cause them to lose funding they can’t afford to give up, Ms. Stabenow said.
“Certainly in Michigan, expanding Medicaid to people who are in minimum-wage jobs, who will take their child to the doctor rather than using the emergency room, has saved the state money,” she said. “We’ve actually seen health care costs stabilize in the last number of years when more people could actually go to the doctor rather than the emergency room.”
The Republican plan, known as Graham-Cassidy, reallocates Obamacare funding into block grant for states to build their own health insurance plans while also repealing the mandates. It also evens out the distribution for Obamacare funds causing some states, like Massachusetts, to receive less money than they currently do.
The Senate is expected to vote on the bill this week with an extremely tight margin for Republican lawmakers. Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Rand Paul of Kentucky have already said they will not vote for the bill.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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