Schumer: Republicans should throw their health bill ‘in the trash’

Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) on Wednesday denounced the House-passed healthcare reform bill after an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) showed it would cause millions of Americans to lose health coverage.

“Republicans in Washington and the president should read this report cover to cover, throw their bill in the trash can and begin working with Democrats on a real plan to lower costs for the American people,” Schumer said at a press conference held shortly after the CBO released its report.

{mosads}Standing alongside other members of his caucus such as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Schumer called the bill “a cancer” on the American healthcare system that would cause “costs to skyrocket,” make “coverage unaffordable for those with pre-existing conditions” and kick “millions off their health insurance.”

Schumer made the comments as a number of GOP senators distanced themselves from the House-passed ObamaCare repeal-and-replace plan following the CBO analysis, known as a score.

The CBO found that the bill the House narrowly passed last month with only GOP support would result in 23 million more uninsured Americans over a decade. It would also reduce the deficit by $119 billion over 10 years, less than the $150 billion reduction predicted in the CBO’s previous analysis of the bill. 

“Unless you’re a healthy millionaire, TrumpCare is a nightmare,” Schumer said. “This report ought to be the final nail in the coffin of the Republican effort to sabotage our healthcare system.”

Schumer highlighted several findings in the CBO score. He noted that it made clear that the House-passed bill would increase premiums by 20 percent in 2018 and by 5 percent the following year.

He said while premiums are predicted to go down in the following years, Schumer argued “that’s because the coverage is so bad.”

“Cheaper insurance isn’t going to help anyone if it doesn’t actually cover you when you’re ill,” he said

The Democratic leader pointed out that the CBO estimates that seniors could see their premiums go up by as much as 800 percent under the House-passed bill.

He noted the CBO projects that people who are less healthy will be unable to purchase comprehensive nongroup health insurance at premiums comparable to current law. 

“The so-called fix, which some of the moderates in the House bought into, doesn’t make pre-existing conditions any easier or any better,” he said.

He argued that under “TrumpCare,” if a person has a pre-existing condition or is sick, he or she will see their healthcare costs go up substantially.