Obamacare revamp’s cuts slash billions to Bay State

Sept. 21--WASHINGTON -- Bay State lawmakers are fuming that Massachusetts stands to be one of biggest losers of federal health care funds under a plan to revamp Obamacare offered by U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.).

"Republicans (are) talking about taking away billions of dollars from the commonwealth of Massachusetts, the kind of money that goes into our health care centers, the kind of money that goes into making sure people in Massa­chusetts get the health care coverage that they need," U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said yesterday at the MGH ­Chelsea Healthcare Center.

The Graham-Cassidy plan, which would roll back the Medicaid expansion in favor of state block grants, would leave the Bay State with $5 billion less in federal funding by 2026 than under Obama­care, according to an analysis by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a private think tank.

A report by the health care consulting firm Avalere Health is even more dire, projecting the bill would cost Massachusetts $8 billion in 2026 -- when block grant funding would end without reauthorization -- and then as much as $14 billion less in 2027.

The Bay State is among 20 states that would lose the most federal funding, the CBPP analysis found. ­Republican-controlled states in the south and Midwest that opted out of the Obama­care Medicaid expansion could gain.

"Graham made sure his state -- SC gets more under repeal," tweeted U.S. Rep. Mike Capuano yesterday, noting that South Carolina would get a federal funding boost of $804 million in 2026. "Quite a move!"

Graham defended the plan, saying that it actually ­corrects state-to-state inequi­ties built into Obama­care.

"I like Massachusetts, I like Maryland, I like New York, I like California, but I don't like them that much to give them a bunch of money that the rest of us won't get," Graham said.

Warren shot back, "Those are pretty outrageous comments. Here in Massachusetts, we provide first-rate care, we actually have had a much flatter slope in the growth of the cost of care, and we're out there working for the most comprehensive coverage in the country."

Gov. Charlie Baker, who traveled to Washington last week to urge lawmakers to back efforts to shore up health care markets and bring down out-of-pocket costs instead of a wholesale revamp of Obama­care, opposes the Graham-Cassidy bill. Senate leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the bill will go before a vote next week.

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