The News

Congress’ Analyst: 14M Lose Coverage Under GOP Health Bill

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, uses charts and graphs to make his case for the GOP’s long-awaited plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 9, 2017.

WASHINGTON – Nonpartisan analysts project that 14 million people would lose coverage next year under the House bill dismantling former President Barack Obama’s health care law. The estimate is a blow to Republicans.

Monday’s estimate by the Congressional Budget Office says there would be 24 million more people uninsured by 2026 than under current law.

The projections give fuel to opponents who warn the measure would toss millions of voters off insurance plans. Criticism has come from Democrats, Republicans from states that benefit from Obama’s law and many corners of the health-care industry.

Human Services Secretary Tom Price talks with a guest as they wait for the arrival of Vice President Mike Pence to begin a meeting with conservative groups to discuss healthcare, Friday, March 10, 2017, in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office on the White House complex in Washington. Photo: AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

President Donald Trump backs the GOP plan.

Republican leaders have said their aim is to lower costs. They say coverage statistics are misleading because many people covered under Obama’s law have high out-of-pocket costs that make health care unaffordable.

ALAN FRAM
RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR