The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress will say anything to pass their repeal bill, including questioning the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) estimates. In fact, former directors of the CBO wrote Republican Leaders this week asking them to “maintain and respect the Congress’s decades-long reliance on CBO’s estimates in developing and scoring bills.”
But the American people know the truth: the GOP plan will raise costs, take away coverage and weaken protections. That is why only 12 percent support it.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price is a leading ‘Health Repeal Truther.’
Here are Price’s top 5 biggest whoppers over the past few months — and one truth.
WHOPPER #1: “Nobody Will Be Worse Off Financially.”
Back in March, Secretary Price was on Meet the Press and he promised that “nobody will be worse off financially” under the Republican repeal bill. That is not true.
The facts:
- Kaiser Family Foundation: premiums for people enrolled in the marketplaces would be 74 percent higher for a benchmark silver plan in 2020.
- Congressional Budget Office: deductibles for people earning $26,500 would increase from $800 under the Affordable Care Act, to $13,000, a 1,525 percent increase.
- The Congressional Budget Office: 22 million people will lose the security of health coverage.
WHOPPER #2 : Republican Repeal Plan Will Lower Deductibles
When asked back in May if he stood by President Trump’s comment that the Republican repeal bill will lead to lower deductibles, Secretary Price answered, “Absolutely.” That is not true.
The facts:
- Congressional Budget Office: deductibles for people earning $26,500 would increase from $800 under the Affordable Care Act, to $13,000, a 1,525 percent increase.
- Axios: “Because the ‘actuarial value’ of the coverage could go down [under the Senate bill] — meaning customers would have to pay more of the medical costs themselves — the deductible for a low-income person could shoot up to $13,000.”
WHOPPER #3: “There are No Cuts to the Medicaid Program.”
Back in May on CNN, Secretary Price said, “Remember that there are no cuts to the Medicaid program.” That is not true.
The facts:
- Congressional Budget Office: $756 billion cut to Medicaid over the next decade compared to the ACA, or a 26 percent reduction.
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: More than $2 trillion in cuts to Medicaid over the next two decades.
WHOPPER #4: “We’re Gonna Be Able To Cover More Individuals on This Bill than are Currently Covered.”
In July, Secretary Price promised that the Republican repeal plan would mean “we’re gonna be able to cover more individuals on this bill than are currently covered.” That is not true.
The facts:
- The Congressional Budget Office: 22 million people will lose the security of health coverage.
WHOPPER #5 : We Don’t Know How Great the GOP Repeal Plan is Because We Haven’t Seen All of It Yet.
In July, Sec. Price took issue with the Congressional Budget Office and other analyses showing that the Republican repeal bill would take away coverage and raise costs because, he argued, these analyses do not look at the “entire plan.” “The entire plan,” he argued, “includes not just this piece of legislation, which is a significant piece, but it’s not the entire plan. The other pieces of legislation that provide for increasing competition and increasing choices in the insurance market.” That is not true.
Price appears to be making the case for the “3 phases” of health repeal he made earlier this year. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) put it best talking to Hugh Hewitt about why the three step process won’t work:
Hugh, there is no three-phase process. There is no three-step plan. That is just political talk. It’s just politicians engaging in spin. This is why. Step One is a bill that can pass with 51 votes in the Senate. That’s what we’re working on right now. Step Two, as yet unwritten regulations by Tom Price, which is going to be subject to court challenge, and therefore, perhaps the whims of the most liberal judge in America. But Step Three, some mythical legislation in the future that is going to garner Democratic support and help us get over 60 votes in the Senate. If we had those Democratic votes, we wouldn’t need three steps.
However, there is one true thing Sec. Price said:
TRUTH: Once Repeal Passes, Insurers Can Just “Dust Off How They Did Business Before Obamacare.”
On ABC, Sec. Price said that after repeal passes, insurance companies could “dust off how they did business before Obamacare.”
KARL: There’s no doubt there’s significant problems with the current system. But if you look at the Republican plan to modify it and replace it, more than 10 medical groups are against it. Thirty-two cancer organizations oppose it. And on Thursday, in a rare joint statement by the biggest insurance companies in the country, called the Cruz Amendment unworkable in any form and warned it would lead to, quote, “widespread terminations of coverage” So, Dr. Price, why this wall of opposition?
PRICE: It’s really perplexing, especially from the insurance companies, because all they have to do is dust off how they did business before Obamacare.
We agree. As a reminder, here is how insurers “did business” before the Affordable Care Act:
- They were allowed to deny coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
- They were allowed to charge sick people more for the same coverage.
- They were allowed to drop coverage once you got sick if you forgot to mention on your form previous medical conditions, such as acne.
- They were allowed to put lifetime and annual limits on your care.