WASHINGTON, DC (May 24, 2017): Today, the Council for Affordable Health Coverage (CAHC) – a coalition of employers, insurers, brokers, agents, patient groups, and physician organizations – responded to the Congressional Budget Office’s newly released score of the House-passed American Health Care Act of 2017. CAHC President Joel White released the following statement:
“The latest CBO score highlights imperfections of the House-passed bill that the Senate must reconcile, including coverage losses, a rocky transition period, and gaps in the bill’s policy on preexisting conditions,” said CAHC President Joel White. “Obamacare is failing Americans through increased costs and fewer coverage options. It must be reformed. But this latest CBO projection of the House bill still shows significant premium increases in 2018 and massive losses in coverage over the next decade. Obamacare has already put Americans through enough headache as it is, and consumers should not have to see things get worse before they get better. The Senate must correct this. That is why we are working with Senators on a plan that would shore up markets now by frontloading the House’s stabilization funding to maximize its impact and lower premiums substantially in the first years of implementation. We are also calling on Senators to provide a glide path toward the new system and prevent coverage loss by providing additional assistance through an HSA on top of the new age-based credit to low-income individuals.”
White concluded, “Finally, many Americans still rely on the security of protections on preexisting conditions and comprehensive coverage availability that they were promised. At the same time, healthier individuals who do not routinely need medical care should have greater flexibility to purchase the type of coverage they may want. We propose allowing insurers that sell comprehensive plans meeting current rules to have the ability to offer plans that meet the needs of younger, healthier individuals. This policy would not only lower premiums by bringing younger, healthier people into a unified risk pool, but it would also meet the so-called ‘Jimmy Kimmel test’ by guaranteeing that individuals needing more comprehensive coverage can obtain it. The CBO score serves as an important reminder that, when it comes to replacing Obamacare, we have more work to do and we need to get this right.”
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About the Council for Affordable Health Coverage
The Council for Affordable Health Coverage (CAHC) is a broad-based alliance with a primary focus: bringing down the cost of health care for all Americans. CAHC promotes policies that lower health costs through increased competition, informed consumers and more choices to help promote access to affordable coverage.