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MYTH
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FACT
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Myth:
Congress is taking a break from working on the proposed health care bills
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Fact: Sen. McConnell continues
to work behind the scenes over the July 4th recess (which runs until the
Senate returns on July 10th and the House returns on July 11th to secure
votes of reluctant Senators by offering minor changes to the bill; changes
that will not mitigate its real harm. It is crucial to make your voices
heard: Below are some events where you can tell members to protect our
care!
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Myth:
The proposed health care bills (the American Health Care Act/House and the
Better Care Reconciliation Act/Senate) do not cut Medicaid
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Fact: CBO released a long-term
analysis and found that after 20 years, Medicaid would be cut by 35% under
the Senate’s BCRA:
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Myth:
Medicare pays for nursing home care, so a cut in Medicaid does not impact
nursing home care
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Fact: Medicaid, NOT MEDICARE, is
the primary payer for long-term care, including $55 billion in 2015 for
nursing homes. Generally, Medicare pays only up to 100 days of
nursing home care. Almost two-thirds of long-term nursing home care
is paid for by Medicaid.
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Myth:
The proposed health care bills (the American Health Care Act and the Better
Care Reconciliation Act) protect people with preexisting conditions
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Fact: The ACA provides consumer
protections that enable millions of Americans with medical conditions to
obtain affordable, adequate health coverage in all states’ individual
insurance markets, by barring insurers from denying coverage to people with
preexisting health conditions, and by requiring insurers to charge people
the same premium, regardless of their health status, and to provide a
comprehensive array of benefits and cost-sharing protections. Reports of a
proposed amendment by Sen. Cruz state that it would allow insurers to bypass
ACA rules requiring that they accept all customers regardless of
pre-existing conditions; vary premiums based only on age without ACA
imposed limits; set no annual or lifetime benefit limits; and offer 10
minimum essential benefits in all plans.
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Myth:
The proposed health care bills (the American Health Care Act and the Better
Care Reconciliation Act) will lower costs
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Fact: Millions of people would
have skimpier coverage and care, and greater
out-of-pocket expenses:
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Myth:
The proposed health care bills (the American Health Care Act and the Better
Care Reconciliation Act) do not impact middle class families
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Fact: Millions of middle-income
Americans get their coverage through the ACA marketplaces. In 2014, 1 in 5
marketplace consumers was a small business owner or self-employed. The
marketplaces are also an especially important source of coverage for early
retirees and people who work at small firms, which are less likely to offer
health coverage:
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Myth:
The proposed health care bills (the American Health Care Act and the Better
Care Reconciliation Act) do not impact employer based health insurance
coverage and costs
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Fact: States could directly use
the waiver authority included in the Senate bill to eliminate the
requirement that individual and small group plans cap annual out-of-pocket
spending. States could also indirectly weaken or effectively eliminate both
the ACA’s requirement that plans limit out-of-pocket spending and its ban
on individual and lifetime limits by setting a definition of “essential
health benefits” that is weaker than the definition under current law.
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Myth:
The proposed health care bills (the American Health Care Act and the Better
Care Reconciliation Act) do not impact oral health care
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Fact: A repeal of the Affordable
Care Act would put more than 6.7 million adults at risk of losing oral
health/dental coverage.
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Myth:
The proposed health care bills (the American Health Care Act and the Better
Care Reconciliation Act) provide enough funding to handle the opioid crisis
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Fact: The disastrous cuts to
Medicaid in the health care bills would cripple the ability to handle the
opioid crisis. Without adequately funding Medicaid, even the $45
billion increase in opioid funding that is being discussed is woefully
inadequate. Some estimates find that it will cost more than $183 billion
over ten years to cover the lost ACA coverage and to fight the nation’s
opioid epidemic.
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Myth:
Congress has already heard from you, so you don’t need to call members
anymore
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Fact: Congress is still working
on this legislation. It is as important as ever to make your voice
heard. Tell members not to cap or cut Medicaid, or repeal the ACA.
Tell them to protect our care!
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