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Maine Health Advocates: Analysis Shows GOP Bill Will Worsen U.S. Health Care

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 23 million more Americans will lose health coverage under the House GOP's health care replacement bill. 

Maine health advocates say the CBO score shows that the American Health Care Act will make U.S. health care worse, not better.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 23 million more people will lose insurance under the GOP House bill to replace the Affordable Care Act.  That's slightly less than the 24 million expected to lose insurance under earlier versions of the replacement bill. 

The CBO also finds that insurance premiums would decrease for some, particularly the young and healthy. But Steve Butterfield, of Consumers for Affordable Health Care, says those lower premiums come with a caveat.

"You pay a little bit less to get a lot less coverage," Butterfield says. "It's like this freedom, or privilege, to pay for a plan that doesn't actually pay for you when you need it."

Butterfield calls the GOP bill an unsalvageable mess, and says the Senate should start from scratch to increase insurance coverage.