Doyle vows to vote against GOP health care plan

March 18--Congressman Mike Doyle took the stage Saturday at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum and told a large crowd what many hoped to hear from the Forest Hills Democrat when it comes to the Republican plan to gut the Affordable Care Act.

"I think there is a 50-50 chance of defeating this bill," Doyle told the more than 400 people who attended the event in Oakland. "There are a lot of nervous Republicans on the Hill right now."

Doyle urged attendees to contact other members of Congress and lobby them to vote against the GOP plan, known as the American Health Care Act.

"You don't have to call me because I'm not voting for the damn thing," Doyle said. "The bottom line is this is a bad bill."

President Trump and Republicans in Congress intend to repeal and replace the ACA, also known as Obamacare. The GOP plan would eliminate or significantly alter all but the most popular provisions of the law, including Medicaid expansion.

Doyle criticized the proposal.

"There's nothing in this bill to lower premiums," he said. "This is a ploy to cap the Medicaid program."

More than 700,000 Pennsylvanians have enrolled in Medicaid since Gov. Tom Wolf two years ago expanded the program. Another 430,000 state residents have bought individual insurance plans on the federal marketplace, often with help from federal income-based subsidies.

Damitra Penny of the Hill District said she attended Saturday's event to hear Doyle oppose the Republican plan, particularly when it comes to Medicaid changes.

"Medicaid is so important to people with disabilities," she said. "I hope (Doyle) votes against it -- and stands up and is vocal about it."

Bob Bonner of Lincoln Place said he has been a longtime fan of a single-payer plan recommended by U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., who reintroduced a bill in February that would expand Medicare to "provide for comprehensive health insurance coverage for all United States residents."

Doyle is a co-sponsor of the bill.

"I'm not pessimistic at all. I'm optimistic," Bonner said about the future of health care in the country. "I think people are starting to pay attention to health care and see what Republicans have to offer and what Democrats have offered. They know Obamacare was flawed, although it was a vast improvement over what we had."

He urged Doyle to be "more active, more vocal."

Joining Doyle on Saturday were Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Teresa D. Miller; Ray Landis, advocacy manager with AARP Pennsylvania; and two Pittsburgh women who bought health insurance through the ACA marketplace.

"The day Obamacare came into existence, I started crying. Before Obamacare, in the back of my mind I knew that I could end up destitute if my premium was a nanosecond late," said Janice Nathan of Point Breeze, a self-employed speech pathologist who works with children with autism. "Right now, I have the best comprehensive health care of my life."

Nathan said she regularly calls U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey's office to express her support for the ACA.

"I tell him we will remember how you vote," she said. "And if we die because we don't have health care coverage, our families will remember how you voted."

Groups have staged weekly protests called "Tuesdays with Toomey" across the state, demanding the Lehigh County Republican hold town hall meetings to discuss the issue with constituents.

Similar protests have been held at local offices of U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair.

Another round of "Mondays with Murphy" is planned this week outside the congressman's offices in Mt. Lebanon and Hempfield.

Murphy's 18th District includes parts of Westmoreland, Allegheny, Washington and Greene counties.

This month, he offered amendments to the proposed GOP health care plan that would require mental health and addiction problems be treated in parity with physical health problems. Murphy also recommended changes that would allow states to use up to $15 billion to expand access to mental health and addiction treatment services.

Jason Cato contributed.Andrew Russell is a Tribune-Review staff photojournalist. Reach him at [email protected].

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