CMA Health Policy Blog

Tax Cut Bill Just Got Worse. Health Care at Risk.

November 15, 2017 at 10:46 pm Judith Stein Leave a comment

Congress’ rushed effort to push through a massive tax cut for corporations and the wealthy presents a clear and present danger to health coverage, other vital programs, and families throughout the country. After adding $1.5 trillion to the federal debt, policymakers will use the higher debt – created by the tax cuts – to argue that deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other bedrock programs are necessary.

Amazingly, the tax cut bill just got even worse. After failing repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Senate is now seeking to repeal the ACA’s individual mandate to purchase insurance coverage in order to help pay for tax cuts. They know this will devastate the ACA.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), without this provision far fewer people – particularly younger and healthier people – will buy health insurance, which will lead to 13 million people without coverage, and higher premiums for millions more.

To add insult to injury, the CBO also stated that, in addition to the longer-term threats the tax cut poses to Medicare, the cut would also immediately threaten the program. Indeed, CBO projects that the enormous cost of the tax bill would prompt immediate, automatic and ongoing spending cuts to Medicare – $25 billion in 2018 alone.

It’s time to stop this fast-track process to starve the federal budget and pay for massive tax cuts by undercutting the health and economic security of millions of American families.

Entry filed under: Affordable Care Act, Deficit Reduction, Medicare, Medicare Reform, Obamacare, Ryan Plan.