Ore. Gov. Brown Issues Statement on Senate Health Care Bill

SALEM, Ore., June 28 -- Gov. Kate Brown, D-Ore., issued the following statement on the Better Care Reconciliation Act:

"This Senate bill is no more than a giant tax break disguised as a health care bill. As a health care bill, it is cruel. It creates barriers to preventive services. It forces low-income and older Americans to pay more for inferior care, and it would rip coverage from more than 440,000 Oregonians. All of this under the guise of lowering health care costs.

"Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Oregon has expanded health care coverage to 95 percent of residents, while bending the cost curve and saving taxpayers more than $1.5 billion. The Senate bill would wipe out that progress, slashing critical services, lowering standards of care to unacceptable levels, and cutting 23,000 jobs.

"Ultimately, Oregon's uninsured rate would triple, and our families and neighbors would suffer from unaffordable and inadequate coverage. Uninsured Oregonians would be forced to use emergency rooms, driving up costs for all of us.

"Despite these draconian cuts, Oregon will not back down. I will continue to fight to ensure every Oregonian has access to quality, comprehensive health care that lifts Oregonians up and supports families through good and bad times."

Learn more about how the Affordable Care Act has made health coverage possible for thousands of Oregonians: 95percentOregon.com .