Rep. Gene Green Announces Impact of GOP’s Patients’ Rights Repeal Act
January 19, 2011
Press Release
Washington, D.C. –Rep. Gene Green (TX-29) highlighted a report that details the impact of the Republicans’ Patients’ Rights Repeal Act on the hundreds of thousands of Americans who live in the 29th Congressional District of Texas.
“The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scored the cost to Americans that the Republicans’ proposal will have and the national deficit will ultimately increase by over $1 trillion,” Rep. Green said. “For a party that promised not to add to the deficit and increase government transparency, it’s simply shocking that their first major piece of legislation in the 112th Congress would add such an astounding amount without one committee hearing on the legislation.”
In a letter to Speaker Boehner dated January 6, 2011, the nonpartisan CBO stated that repeal of the health care reform law would add approximately $230 billion to the deficit in the first ten years and over $1.2 trillion in the second ten years. As a result of repeal, 32 million Americans will lose health coverage, Americans purchasing their own insurance coverage will see their costs rise, and patient protections will be erased.
“America simply can’t afford to repeal such an important patient protection law,” Rep. Green continued. “People across the country and in our area have already seen improvements in their own protections and those will be lost. As health reform is slowly implemented, there is plenty of time to use the legislative process to fix what needs to be fixed instead of putting Americans at risk by repealing patient protections.”
The report on TX-29 finds that the Patients’ Rights Repeal Act would have significant consequences in the district by:
· Allowing insurance companies to deny coverage to at least 102,000 individuals, including at least 12,000 children, with pre-existing conditions. These individuals include those who are breast cancer survivors and prostate cancer survivors; those living with heart disease; and those with such conditions as asthma and high blood pressure.
· Taking away the 50% discount on brand-name Rx drugs from 4,400 seniors who hit the Medicare Part D ‘donut hole;’ and denying free preventive care services under Medicare to 56,000 seniors.
· Eliminating health care tax credits available for up to 14,600 small businesses and 177,000 families.
· Increasing the number of people without health insurance by 217,000 individuals.
· Increasing the cost to hospitals of providing uncompensated care by $15 million annually.
· Increasing the costs of coverage for up to 4,300 early retirees.
“Instead of bringing such bills as the Patients’ Rights Repeal Act to the Floor, I hope soon that Republicans will be reaching out to Democrats to develop bipartisan solutions that will create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and bring down our long-term deficit,” stated Rep. Green.
Groups opposing repeal include the AARP, the Small Business Majority, the American Heart Association, and the National Farmers Union.
The report can be found at https://docs.house.gov/energycommerce/health_2011/TX29.Green.pdf
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