Trumpcare would rip coverage away from 24 million Americans, jeopardize coverage for 2.8 million suffering from substance abuse disorder

Washington (March 23, 2017) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass) issued the following statement today on the seventh anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Today, the U.S. House of Representatives has a planned vote on the American Health Care Act, the Republican replacement plan for the health care law.

“As we mark the 7th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, we must recommit to fighting Republican attacks on the fundamental right to health care. Trumpcare is nothing but a massive tax cut for the wealthiest and a huge tax increase for the poor and working class in our country. Trumpcare would increase out-of-pocket costs and decrease the value of health coverage. It would hurt Grandma and Grandpa by gutting Medicaid, the largest payer of nursing home care. It would upend coverage for Americans suffering from a substance use disorder who benefited from coverage under the health care law. Trumpcare is a desperate attempt to keep an empty campaign promise and would plunge millions of American families into economic uncertainty and our health care system into chaos.

“My vote for the Affordable Care Act has been the proudest vote of my career in Congress. I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to reject this disastrous proposal and work to strengthen the health care law that is already helping millions of Americans.” 

Earlier this week, Sen. Markey led 20 of his colleagues in a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) calling on him not to take up any legislation that would jeopardize coverage for the millions of Americans living with opioid use disorders.