1. Gordon Bonnyman Tennessee Justice Center March 6, 2017
Why the “American Health Care Act” Threatens and Strips Health Coverage for Millions of Americans
Gordon Bonnyman
Tennessee Justice Center
March 6, 2017

2. “Replacement” Bill in the House of Representatives
Legislative recommendations from the Ways and Means Committee
More focused on the Affordable Care Act
Section-by-section summary
(2) Legislative recommendation from the Energy and Commerce Committee
More focused on Medicaid

3. Reason #1: Why This Bill Hurts Americans
This bill benefits the wealthy and healthy at the expense of those who are low-income and sick. 

4. Benefiting the Wealthy: Health Savings Accounts
Expands the tax benefits of health savings accounts
Health savings accounts are most beneficial to those who:
Pay high income tax rates
Have money to save
65% of Tennesseans have less than $1,000 in savings.

5. Hurting the Poor: Tax Credits
Repeals the income-based tax credits to help low-income individuals pay for coverage.
Replaces with tax credits that are adjusted by age, and reduces the tax credit for individuals with annual income over $75,000.
WHAT THIS MEANS: Americans who benefited most from ACA get substantially less help.

6. Reason #2: Why This Bill Hurts Americans
The bill makes coverage less accessible and affordable. 

7. Coverage Less Accessible and Affordable
New barriers to care through an onerous continuous coverage requirement.
If you went longer than 63 days without continuous health coverage, then insurers could increase premiums by 30%.

8. Reason #3: Why This Bill Hurts Americans
The bill will increase out-of-pocket costs while eliminating many of the ACA’s benefits and consumer protections.

9. Increasing out-of-pocket costs and eliminating consumer protections
Repeals consumer protections, such as actuarial value.
Repeal of cost-sharing subsidies, which help low-income people pay deductibles and out-of-pocket costs for insurance.

10. Reason #4: Why This Bill Hurts Americans
This bill makes deep cuts to Medicaid and would cap federal funding for the program - which will result in reduced access to coverage and benefits. 

11. Medicaid: Per Capita Caps
Per enrollee limits on federal payments to states.
This shifts costs to states, consumers & health care providers.
Makes inequities among states permanent, to the disadvantage of TN and Tennesseans.

12. Ending Medicaid Expansion
The bill effectively ends Medicaid expansion by winding down its funding, locks TN out.
On Monday, four Republican senators signed a letter (before bill was released) saying they could not support plan that reversed Medicaid expansion in their state.
Unclear if this bill overcomes their concerns.

13. Eliminating Medicaid “Essential Health Benefits” for Medicaid Expansion Populations
Repeals the requirement that State Medicaid expansion plans must provide the same “essential health benefits” that are required by plans on the exchanges.
Taxpayers won’t have access to the same quality of coverage that they provide to members of Congress.

14. American Health Care Act: What it keeps
Dependents allowed to stay on parents’ plan until they are 26.
Prohibit health insurers from denying coverage or charging more money to patients based on pre-existing conditions.

15. American Health Care Act: Repeals Taxes and Individual/Employer Mandates
Several taxes contained in ACA would be repealed at the end of this year.
Gets rid of the individual mandate and the employer mandate.

16. Nobody, including Congressmen, knows the full cost.
The plan has not been scored by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The score from the CBO would show the cost and its impact on the federal budget.
The CBO score would also show the impact of the plan’s policies on people's lives, such as how many people will lose coverage and how much are premiums increasing.

17. They need to hear from us.

18. Call your Representative.
Call Then enter your zip code to be connected to your House member.
Tell them this plan doesn't work for us.

19. Take Action! City Senator Lamar Alexander Senator Bob Corker
Chattanooga
Joel E. Soloman Federal Building
900 Georgia Avenue, #260
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423)
10 West MLK Blvd., 6th Floor Chattanooga, TN 37402  Phone: (423)
Jackson
111 Murray Guard Drive, Suite D
Jackson, TN 38305
Phone: (731)
91 Stonebridge Boulevard Suite 103 Jackson, TN 38305  Phone: (731)
Knoxville
Howard H. Baker, Jr.,
U.S. Courthouse
800 Market Street, #112
Knoxville, TN 37902
Phone: (865)
800 Market Street, Suite 121
Phone: (865)
Memphis
Clifford Davis-Odell Horton Federal Building
167 North Main Street, #1068
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901)
100 Peabody Place, Suite 1125 Memphis, TN 38103  Phone: (901)
Nashville
3322 West End Avenue, #120
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615)
3322 West End Ave., Suite 610
Phone: (615)
Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities Regional Airport
2525 Highway 75
Suite 101
Blountville, TN 37617
Phone: (423)
1105 East Jackson Boulevard
Suite 4
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423)

20. Take Action! Host a letter-writing party Write a letter to the editor
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21. Keep your friends informed.
Go to TJC’s Facebook page: Share our post!

22. Questions?

23. Stay Tuned! Webinar series: “Changes to Senior Safety Net Programs”
March 8, March 15, March 22, March 29
12:00-1:00 PM Central Time
Register here
Webinar: “What’s The Future of Medicaid?”
Thursday, March 16, 11:30am-12:30pm Central Time