CHLPI’s Associate Director Speaks to Healio.com on the Senate Health Care Bill

CHLPI’s Associate Director, Caitlin McCormick-Brault, was interviewed by healio.com for a June 22, 2017 story on the newly released Senate version of the health care bill meant to replace the Affordable Care Act. The article, Senate health care bill takes slower approach to House bill, expert concerns persist, looks at the key differences between the Senate and House health care bills.

Excerpt from the article:

“‘Despite calling itself the “Better Care” Act, the Senate bill would actually be worse for patients, particularly vulnerable patients such as older Americans, patients with chronic illnesses, and those enrolled in Medicaid,’ Caitlin McCormick-Brault, associate director, Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation at Harvard Law, said in a statement to Healio.com. ‘The Senate bill makes even deeper cuts to Medicaid that the House’s American Health Care Act (AHCA) does, although they phase them in over the next several years to delay the pain until after the next election cycle.’

According to McCormick-Brault, the Senate bill would result in patients facing higher insurance costs with less robust benefits and higher cost-sharing requirements. She advises physicians that the bill would make patients, particularly those under Medicaid, less likely to seek treatment or follow doctors’ orders when additional care is needed.

‘Doctors who see Medicaid patients will be significantly impacted as many of their patients will lose insurance altogether,’ she said.”

Read Senate health care bill takes slower approach to House bill, expert concerns persist at healio.com.