March 23, 2017 The Call – Reject #Trumpcare The House expects a vote tonight on Trumpcare and the vote is likely to be close. House Republicans and the President have been feverishly working to cut a deal that can pass the House. Reports are that a deal could make Trumpcare considerably harsher than the version which was scored by the CBO as having 24 million fewer people with insurance within 10 years and 14 million fewer next year. Of course, there is no time for the revised law (still being worked on) to be scored by the CBO. In an effort to win votes from the Freedom Caucus, it appears that all or some of the 10 “essential benefits” of Obamacare may become optional. These include emergency room care, maternity care, mental health and addiction treatment, prescription drugs, chronic disease treatment and others. While it would reduce premiums for those who did not need these services, it could easily put insurance out of reach for those with pre-existing chronic disease or mental health issues and leave those who buy cheap policies with little or no coverage when they need it. It also appears Medicaid will be pulled back significantly from the CBO scored version of the bill. If these changes are made to bring on conservatives, the vote of more moderate Republicans will be tougher to get, but it is not clear whether whatever comes out of the overnight negotiation can pass. Trump desperately wants a “win” in this bad news environment and appears willing to agree to radical bill that shreds the many campaign promises he made. Your Action Call all three of your members of Congress and ask them to oppose Trumpcare. Script “Hi. This is [NAME] and I’m a constituent in [ZIP]. I’m calling to urge [Sen/Rep____] to oppose Trumpcare. It looks like the version up for a vote is even worse than the version the CBO scored, which benefited only the wealthy while leaving sick or vulnerable people without insurance. Thanks!”
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