Statement from the NC Justice Center: Trumpcare is a Bad Deal for North Carolina

New analysis shows GOP proposal would take us back to a time when millions lacked health coverage

RALEIGH (March 13, 2017) — Today the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its evaluation of the American Health Care Act, the legislative proposal drafted by Republicans in Congress to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The evaluation shows that the GOP proposal would take us backward in history to a time when millions of families nationwide lack health insurance coverage.

In fact, the CBO found that 14 million people would lose coverage next year alone. By 2026, 24 million Americans would be newly uninsured.

Under this proposal, not only would North Carolinians be unable to access the health care they need, more families would be at-risk of financial catastrophe and medical debt without the protection of health insurance coverage. The GOP proposal would radically restructure the Medicaid program, cutting $880 billion in nationwide spending over 10 years. This would pass the buck to North Carolina’s state budget to handle the costs of caring for the state’s most vulnerable residents, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. It would also repeal the ACA’s premium tax credits—which nearly half a million North Carolinians rely on each year to afford private plans—and replace them with an age-related voucher, in turn shifting health care costs onto low- and moderate-income North Carolinians.

Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, North Carolina’s uninsured rate has fallen from 16.8 percent to 11.2 percent. Hundreds of thousands have gained access to health insurance coverage and, with it, peace of mind and financial security. The American Health Care Act puts these gains at risk. Rather than improve upon the ACA, Congress’ proposal would result in 24 million more uninsured Americans. Seniors, people living in rural communities, and families trying to stay afloat on barely any income would find their very lives at stake. This is not the future we want for our state and nation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Brendan Riley, brendan@ncjustice.org, 919.861.2074; Julia Hawes, julia@ncjustice.org, 919.863.2406.