Reform missing from Republican health insurance “reform” plan

November 5, 2009: Las Vegas, NV – Earlier this week, Republicans who have opposed Democrats’ plans for meaningful health insurance reform at every turn finally released their own version of a reform bill. They claimed it would insure millions more Americans than the bill being considered by House Democrats.

But the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says Republicans’ reform plan – if you can call it that – accomplishes none of the necessary reforms Americans have demanded.

The fiscally responsible Democratic proposal under consideration in the House – supported by Nevada Congresswomen Dina Titus and Shelley Berkley – insures more than 30 million more Americans, reduces the deficit by $104 billion over the next 10 years and bans denials based on preexisting conditions. It’s endorsed by the AARP, the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society.

Republicans’ proposal, meanwhile, insures only 3 million more Americans, reduces the deficit by $36 billion less than Democrats’ House bill and allows insurance companies to continue to discriminate against people with preexisting conditions. The percentage of uninsured Americans remains exactly the same under the Republican proposal, according to an analysis by the CBO, which says 52 million Americans would be uninsured by 2019 under the Republican plan while 46 million are currently uninsured. And the Republican plan would lower premiums for most Americans by a mere zero to three percent.

“Republicans’ health insurance ‘reform’ plan is awfully light on reform,” said Phoebe Sweet, communications director for the Nevada State Democratic Party. “If Republicans want to argue the merits of giving the uninsured access to medical care, ending discrimination based on preexisting conditions or lowering premiums for families and business, we’re willing to have that argument. Nevadans agree with us that these reforms are necessary.

“But Democrats will no longer stand for the lies and distortions Republicans have spread about our plans to meaningfully reform this nation’s broken health insurance system. Then again, when all they have to offer is a plan that leaves 52 million Americans uninsured and allows discrimination to continue, it’s no wonder they chose to waste our time lying about death panels and socialism instead.”

Source: Congressional Budget Office