Massachusetts reps blast health bill

May 05--Massachusetts congressmen are blasting the healthcare bill passed yesterday by the Republican-majority House of Representatives, warning of the effect on veterans and others

The American Health Care Act would prevent veterans eligible for VA health care from getting crucial tax credits if they are forced to buy outside insurance, U.S. Congressman Stephen told Boston Herald Radio this morning.

"There's a provision in there that says if a veteran is eligible for VA healthcare -- and that's basically all veterans that served honorably -- then they are not eligible for the tax credits for health care that they may have to turn to the private market for," Lynch said. "It's wrong for (Republicans) to penalize veterans just because they serve their country and they're eligible for VA healthcare."

Under the AHCA, which Lynch voted against, federal subsidies for insurance would be replaced by tax credits as the principal way to reduce the cost of health care.

But the provision, Lynch said, would leave veterans out off luck for non-VA medical procedures. Lynch highlighted the case of Marine Brian Callahan who, the Herald reported this week, was on MassHealth when MGH doctors told him about a brain mass VA doctors had missed.

"He would not get a tax credit to defer the cost of the procedure," Lynch said.

Lynch and fellow Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton joined to Herald Radio's Hillary Chabot and Tom Shattuck this morning, vowing to rally opposition to the bill as it headed to the Senate.

Listen live.

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