American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates released the following statement after Senators Cassidy and Graham blatantly contradicted themselves in dishonest interviews promoting the Cassidy-Graham-Heller-Johnson Trumpcare bill:
“Sens. Cassidy and Johnson have told so many lies about their Trumpcare bill that now they can’t even keep their story straight. As they flail to deceive the American people, independent health advocacy groups ranging from the American Medical Association to patient and provider organizations have already put out the truth: this bill would take insurance from 32 million Americans, cripple protections for people with preexisting conditions, send premiums up 20% next year, and kill 2.6 million jobs. That’s not spin, those are facts – and there’s no denying it.”
Video and Transcript with Reality Checks:
CASSIDY
SEN. BILL CASSIDY: Under Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson, more people will have coverage.
Reality Check:
- American Medical Association, 9/19/2017: “
Millions would lose their health insurance coverage while destabilizing health insurance markets under new bill”
- American Hospital Association, 9/19/2017: “the block grant to provide support for the expansion population expires in 2026, thereby eliminating coverage for millions of Americans.”
- Commonwealth Fund, 9/20/2017: “The latest ACA repeal bill would lead to a loss of health insurance for at least 32 million people after 2026
JOHNSON
WILLIE GEIST, MSNBC: Will people who currently have coverage, medical coverage, lose it under your plan in the United States?
SEN. RON JOHNSON: Listen, millions of people lost coverage under Obamacare…
WILLIE GEIST, MSNBC: Yes or no, sir.
SEN. RON JOHNSON: There are no guarantees.
Reality Check:
- CNBC, 8/29/2017: “There are now 20.5 million fewer people without health insurance than there were in 2010, when Obamacare, as the ACA is popularly known, began taking effect, the [Ceterns for Disease Control] said.”
CASSIDY
SEN. BILL CASSIDY: There’ll be more people covered under the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson amendment than there are under status quo.
Reality Check:
(see above)
JOHNSON
WILLIE GEIST, MSNBC: People won’t lose coverage under your plan, Senator?
SEN. RON JOHNSON: I can’t guarantee that. The only guarantee is that…
WILLIE GEIST, MSNBC: You can’t guarantee that they will or that they won’t?
SEN. RON JOHNSON: Under Obamacare, premiums have already doubled. And by the way, you know, people covered, you know, supposedly guaranteed coverage under preexisting conditions under Obamacare. it’s not an absolutely guarantee.
Reality Check:
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 9/20/2017: “That would raise the number of uninsured by 15 million relative to current law in 2018 and increase individual market premiums by 20 percent.”
- American Medical Association, 9/19/2017: “
allowing states to get waivers to vary premiums based on health status would allow insurers to charge unaffordable premiums based on those pre-existing conditions.
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 9/15/2017:
“The revised Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal plan from Senators Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham, which is also backed by Senators Dean Heller and Ron Johnson, would give states broad waiver authority to eliminate the ACA’s core protections for people with pre-existing health conditions.”
- Associated Press, 9/19/2017: “Losers — People with health problems or with pre-existing medical conditions could be charged more if the state they live in obtains a waiver from current requirements that forbid insurers from charging higher premiums based on health status.”
CASSIDY
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN: It’s in your bill, Senator.
SEN. BILL CASSIDY: If I may speak, I know what’s in my bill.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN: Please.