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During a recent HELP Committee hearing, Senator Bernie Sanders opted to address one of the most critical issues facing the nation: the healthcare crisis exacerbated by a newly passed reconciliation bill.
Senator Sanders expressed grave concerns about the potential repercussions of the reconciliation bill, originally signed into law by Trump, which he argues will deepen the ongoing healthcare crisis.
In his remarks, Sanders noted:
While cybersecurity and the protection of Americans’ health records are undeniably important, they are not the immediate concerns for the American public. What truly weighs on people’s minds is the devastating impact that the reconciliation bill, recently passed by a narrow margin, will have on the health and well-being of countless Americans. This is the focus of my discussion today.
This legislation, passed by a single vote, represents the most significant cut to Medicaid in U.S. history, all to fund the largest tax break for billionaires ever witnessed.
In a time when our healthcare system is already broken and cruel—leaving 85 million people either uninsured or underinsured—this bill will only exacerbate an already dire situation.
Specifically, this legislation will slash funding for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by over $1.1 trillion.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that this bill, along with the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, could lead to 17 million individuals losing their health insurance.
Research from Yale School of Public Health and health economists at the University of Pennsylvania indicates that such policies could result in over 50,000 unnecessary deaths annually in our country due to lack of access to medical care.
I’m pleased to have Dr. Alison Galvani, a key researcher behind this report, with us today to discuss the findings further.
Mr. Chairman, let’s be clear: it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand this. You, as a doctor, know that lack of access to healthcare leads to suffering and death. This reality is already happening, and it will only worsen.
This legislation is nothing less than a death sentence for working-class and low-income Americans.
Moreover, it threatens more than 300 rural hospitals with closure or severe service reductions. This isn’t my estimation; it comes from the Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina.
We are already witnessing the tragic implications of this bill in rural America. For instance, the Curtis Medical Center in Southwest Nebraska has announced its impending closure due to the cuts to Medicaid outlined in this legislation.
But the crisis extends beyond rural hospitals.
A recent survey by the American Health Care Association reveals that 27% of nursing homes may be forced to shut their doors, while 58% anticipate staff reductions as a direct consequence of this bill. And it doesn’t stop with nursing homes.
Health researchers at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University have warned that this bill could lead to a catastrophic situation for community health centers.
They estimate that over 40% of community health center sites, currently numbering over 15,000 across the nation, could close their doors—potentially affecting around 9,000 of these essential facilities.
And it’s not just a crisis for clinics, nursing homes, and individuals.
This legislation threatens to dramatically increase the uninsured rate across every state in the country.
In Vermont, my home state, the uninsured rate could rise from 3.3% to 6%. In Louisiana, the Chairman’s state, it’s projected to jump from 6.7% to 12.4%. Florida could see an increase from 10.4% to 18.8%, while Texas, the second-largest state, might experience an uninsured rate soaring to 20% — all in the richest country in history.
Mr. Chairman, this is an urgent issue that must be communicated to the American people, and I look forward to discussing it with our panelists.
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In the face of 17 million Americans potentially losing their healthcare, Republicans appear all too eager to treat this crisis as mere routine business. With the GOP fueling a surge in the uninsured, they seem ready to pivot to other topics of their choosing.
However, the American public will not overlook the consequences of Republican actions.
Democrats and advocates like Bernie Sanders are committed to ensuring that the crisis instigated by Republicans remains at the forefront of public discourse.
While Trump and his party may wish for the plight of those losing access to food and healthcare to fade from memory, it falls upon us to ensure that this issue remains visible and urgent.
What are your thoughts on Senator Sanders’s statements? Feel free to share your insights in the comments below.
