Tell Senators Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet: Say "No" to the American Health Care Act
- by: Healthier Colorado
- recipient: Senators Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet
Recently Congress introduced the American Health Care Act (AHCA) which would repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and fundamentally remake the private insurance market and result in an $880 billion cut to Medicaid.
According to recent figures released by the Congressional Budget Office, the AHCA would leave 24 million Americans without their health insurance coverage by 2026.
The plan would disproportionately affect older and lower income people by replacing the ACA's current subsidies with inadequate tax credits that are based on age instead of income. Under the ACA, a 64-year-old making $26,500 a year pays $1,700 for health insurance. Under the AHCA this person’s premiums would skyrocket to $14,600 a year.
In Colorado, we would not only see costs rise for older people, but the Colorado Health Institute projects that 600,000 Coloradans on Medicaid alone would lose coverage by 2030. This would not only have a devastating effect on those who lose coverage, it would also damage Colorado's thriving economy.
We can't backtrack on the progress Colorado has made under the Affordable Care Act.
Please sign the petition to let our Colorado Senate know that this is not acceptable.
Here is some of what the bill would do:
According to recent figures released by the Congressional Budget Office, the AHCA would leave 24 million Americans without their health insurance coverage by 2026.
The plan would disproportionately affect older and lower income people by replacing the ACA's current subsidies with inadequate tax credits that are based on age instead of income. Under the ACA, a 64-year-old making $26,500 a year pays $1,700 for health insurance. Under the AHCA this person’s premiums would skyrocket to $14,600 a year.
In Colorado, we would not only see costs rise for older people, but the Colorado Health Institute projects that 600,000 Coloradans on Medicaid alone would lose coverage by 2030. This would not only have a devastating effect on those who lose coverage, it would also damage Colorado's thriving economy.
We can't backtrack on the progress Colorado has made under the Affordable Care Act.
Please sign the petition to let our Colorado Senate know that this is not acceptable.
Here is some of what the bill would do:
- Individual and business mandates would be eliminated, but a new "continuous coverage" penalty of 30% would be applied if you purchase health coverage in a given year and did not have coverage the preceding year. This penalty disincentivizes healthy people from buying into the market; and those healthy individuals in the market reduces risk and thus cost for everyone who has insurance.
- Income-based subsidies would be replaced by age-based tax credits which will have the net result of diminishing financial support for working class families.
- Insurance companies would be allowed to charge older Americans five times more than younger people.
- The Medicaid expansion would be repealed and Medicaid "per capita caps" for states would be instituted. These caps have strict arbitrary spending limits and penalties, regardless of the health needs of Medicaid clients. This would result in an $880 billion cut to this important safety net program.
- Individuals who earn more than $200,000 per year will be given a tax cut that amounts to $346 billion over 10 years. So, we are essentially taking from the poor to give to the rich.
- While the ACA strengthened the trust fund that pays for Medicare, the AHCA weakens the funding mechanism for this popular program.
Subject: Say "No" to the Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA)
Dear Senator [Bennet or Gardner],
I am writing to share my concerns about the Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA). While the ACA does need improvements, this bill does not address any of the problems currently facing our health care system.
The AHCA would leave 24 million fewer people covered by 2016, make massive cuts to Medicaid, disproportionately impact those who are older and sicker, erase important subsidies that many Coloradans rely on to purchase insurance and replace them with inadequate tax credits, and lower the quality of coverage that people are paying for by eliminating actuarial values. This is not the fix that your constituents need. Colorado has made tremendous gains under the ACA and Medicaid expansion and Congress should be looking for ways to improve upon those gains, not erase them. In addition to the 500,000 people who have gained coverage because of the ACA and Medicaid expansion, Colorado’s economy has also greatly benefited from having both a robust Medicaid program and individual market. Please vote no on this bill as it would be damaging to your individual constituents as well as the state’s economy.
[Your Comment]
Thank you,
[Your Name]
Sign PetitionSign PetitionDear Senator [Bennet or Gardner],
I am writing to share my concerns about the Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA). While the ACA does need improvements, this bill does not address any of the problems currently facing our health care system.
The AHCA would leave 24 million fewer people covered by 2016, make massive cuts to Medicaid, disproportionately impact those who are older and sicker, erase important subsidies that many Coloradans rely on to purchase insurance and replace them with inadequate tax credits, and lower the quality of coverage that people are paying for by eliminating actuarial values. This is not the fix that your constituents need. Colorado has made tremendous gains under the ACA and Medicaid expansion and Congress should be looking for ways to improve upon those gains, not erase them. In addition to the 500,000 people who have gained coverage because of the ACA and Medicaid expansion, Colorado’s economy has also greatly benefited from having both a robust Medicaid program and individual market. Please vote no on this bill as it would be damaging to your individual constituents as well as the state’s economy.
[Your Comment]
Thank you,
[Your Name]
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