7 of midstate’s 10 reps. vote for American Health Care Act
Photo by AP Photo/Evan Vucci
President Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, May 4, 2017, after the House pushed through a health care bill.
(Harrisburg) — Seven of the midstate’s ten congressional representatives have voted for the controversial American Health Care Act, helping it to passage in the US House.
The bill scraps the individual mandate that’s a part of the Affordable Care Act, ties premium subsidies to age instead of income, and ends subsidies for out-of-pocket health insurance expenses by 2020. It also allows states to apply for waivers to cut back on health benefits, and allow insurance companies to charge people with pre-existing conditions higher rates.
It establishes high risk pools to help mitigate that impact, but even conservative economists have said the funding in the bill is inadequate. And some fear a little-noticed provision could open the door to change in the employer market as well.
It reduces Medicaid spending by $840 billion over the next ten years, money that has been used to help low-income people get health care.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the change would force 14 million people off Medicaid, including some 700,000 in Pennsylvania.
Republican Lou Barletta, who represents a large part of Cumberland and Dauphin counties, along with northern parts of the midstate, says he felt like he had to pass the bill.
Barletta says he was fearful that if he didn’t, the Affordable Care Act would have failed and hurt more people.
In light of the Medicaid impact, Barletta defends the move, saying the state could pick up the tab if it wanted to.
“What I’m not disputing, I know you’re making the point that the state doesn’t have any money and I think I could make the argument that the federal government has less,” he says.
State officials have consistently said it can’t afford to bridge the financing gap, as its already facing a budget hole of more than a billion dollars.
“They’re not being kicked off. It would be up to the state whether or not they would continue to expand and allow more people to be covered at their normal formula that they’re paying right now,” Barletta says.
The AHCA also ends a tax on some investment income, which largely benefits wealthier Americans.
Barletta says no bill is perfect.
Two Republicans in the midstate voted against the AHCA: Charlie Dent and Ryan Costello, along with Democrat Matt Cartwright.
Among the midstate’s congressional delegation, these representatives voted yes:
Rep. Lou Barletta, a Republican whose district includes parts of Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry and Luzerne counties, and stretches over 170 miles from rural Cumberland County all the way past past Scranton.
Rep. Scott Perry, a Republican who represents parts of Cumberland, Dauphin and York counties.
Rep. Glenn Thompson, a Republican who represents portions of Juniata and Mifflin counties.
Rep. Bill Shuster, a Republican whose district includes Franklin and Huntingdon counties.
Rep. Tom Marino, a Republican whose district includes Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder, and Union counties, as well as parts of Perry and Northumberland counties.
Rep. Lloyd Smucker a Republican who represents parts of Lancaster and Berks counties.
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