Sen. Tester: The American Health Care Act Is As Irresponsible As We All Thought

WASHINGTON, May 24 -- The office of Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., issued the following news release:

U.S. Senator Jon Tester today issued the following statement after the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released a report on the U.S. House's American Health Care Act:

"This legislation is as irresponsible as we all thought. It jacks up the cost of health insurance for seniors and Montana families. It threatens coverage for folks with cancer, heart disease, and women who are pregnant. It raises taxes for veterans and jeopardizes our rural hospitals, which are the only source of health care for many Montanans. Instead of moving this reckless bill forward, let's work together-Republicans and Democrats-to come up with a solution that will lower costs, increase accessibility, and keep our communities healthy."

The Congressional Budget Office report highlights that the American Health Care Act will:

* Cause 23 million more Americans to be uninsured in the next decade.

* Force seniors, Montanans nearing retirement, and people with pre-existing conditions, like diabetes and high blood pressure, to pay higher premiums.

* Cut Medicaid by $834 billion.

* Force one in six Americans to live in areas with unstable insurance markets by 2020.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act earlier this year by two votes.

A link to the Congressional Budget Office report on the American Health Care Act is available HERE (https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/115th-congress-2017-2018/costestimate/hr1628aspassed.pdf).