Advocacy group raises objections to GOP health care plan

March 09--LIMA -- With House Republicans unveiling their strategy to addressing the health care needs of Americans and providing a pathway to repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, health insurance and coverage has been a topic for great discussion and debate in recent days.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act has been a priority for Republicans for years, and President Donald Trump made it a point on his campaign to criticize the health care law, calling it a "disaster." However, some Americans, including some in Ohio, are defending the plan and speaking out against the recently introduced alternative plan. A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation has found that, despite rising premium costs and limited plan availability, 48 percent of Americans polled favor the Affordable Care Act, compared to 42 percent who oppose it.

Speaking at Mayor David Berger's weekly news conference Wednesday, David Maywhoor of Universal Health Care Action Network Ohio spoke out against the new bill, saying it favors the rich, it will lead to rising co-pays and deductibles, and it will cause many Americans to lose health coverage.

"The bill will effectively force states to end Medicaid expansion, which Ohio did several years ago, helping many low-income people with their health care needs," he said. "About 700,000 Ohioans who gained coverage through the expansion will lose access to their health care."

Maywhoor also said that proposed caps to Medicaid funding would shift the burden of payment to the states, causing budget shortfalls and reductions in benefits. In addition, while proponents of the bill are touting the expansion of health savings accounts to help offset costs, Maywhoor sees that as a benefit to the rich.

"These will benefit more rich folks than middle- or low-income folks," he said. "Many families can't afford to contribute to health savings accounts. It just provides a tax break for the rich, in our minds."

More detail on UHCAN Ohio's objections to the plan can be found at www.uhcanohio.org.

Reach Craig Kelly at 567-242-0390 or on Twitter @Lima_CKelly.

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