Healthcare bill will devastate Ohio

This afternoon, the U.S. House of Represenatives narrowly passed a disastrous health care bill. While it still has to make its way through the Senate, in its current form the bill would have devastating consequences for Ohioans’ health and health care coverage.

Under the House Bill:

964,000 Ohioans, and 24 million Americans, will lose their health insurance coverage[1].

1.2 million Ohioans with preexisting conditions like diabetes, asthma, heart conditions and hypertension will no longer be guaranteed coverage through federal protection, as they were under the Affordable Care Act[2].

Ohioans paying for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace will have their overall out-of-pocket costs increase by an average of $1,116. A typical 60-year-old Ohioan with income of $22,000 will see premiums increase $4,807[3].

Basic services like preventative care, pregnancy and maternity services, prescription drugs, hospitalization, mental health services and substance abuse treatment, will no longer be federally-guaranteed Essential Benefits that insurers must cover, as they were under the Affordable Care Act.

Nationally, $839 billion will be cut from Medicaid (Ohio’s largest health insurance provider) over the next decade. $22 billion in Medicaid costs will shift to the state, likely greatly reducing services and effectively ending Medicaid expansion (a program that allowed 723,000 Ohioans to gain health insurance since 2014)[4].

Ohio can anticipate a drag on job growth as a result of this Health Care bill, with 81,385 potential jobs lost by 2022[5].

The writing’s on the wall. Most Americans’ health care needs are not a priority for GOP leadership. If you care about what’s at stake, it’s time to make your voice heard to Senate leadership.

[1] Center for American Progress from Congressional Budget Office figures: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/news/2017/03/21/428914/coverage-losses-aca-repeal-bill-congressional-districts-states/

[2] Center for American Progress: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/news/2017/04/05/430059/number-americans-pre-existing-conditions-congressional-district/

[3] Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: http://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/4-13-17health-factsheets-oh.pdf

[4] Ibid.

[5] Economic Policy Institute: http://www.epi.org/publication/how-many-jobs-could-the-ahca-cost-your-state/