By ANDREA LANNOM
The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin opposes a new effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, while U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito is still reviewing the measure to assess its effects on West Virginia.
The latest measure gaining steam is Graham-Cassidy, proposed by U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
(File photos)
Among concerns are the effects to the population covered by Medicaid expansion. According to The Washington Post, the measure would redistribute money to states through block grants, and would generally result in less money for states that expanded Medicaid and more money for states that didn’t.
“This bill will directly hurt all of these people and I cannot support it,” Manchin said in a released statement. “Graham-Cassidy is not the solution we need and it is a bad deal for West Virginians. It will leave West Virginia with significantly fewer resources to provide health coverage for both our most vulnerable citizens and our middle class families.
“Under the new formula, our state will get penalized for expanding Medicaid and will have to pay more just to keep the coverage we have today. West Virginia’s economy is just starting to rebound, but our state is still facing large budget shortfalls and cannot afford to pay another $500 million bill.”
Manchin added, “After multiple attempts to rip health care away from millions of people, I think we’ve proven that health care reform needs to be done on a bipartisan basis and I still believe that Republicans should take repeal off of the table and sit down with us to address the challenges our health care system is facing.”
Ashley Berrang, spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said Capito is reviewing the proposal.
“Sen. Capito is evaluating the Graham-Cassidy proposal to determine its impact on West Virginians,” she said in an emailed statement.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is reviewing the measure and how it could affect West Virginians, his Communications Director Butch Antolini said.
A number of other governors have publicly stated opinions on the bill, including Ohio Gov. John Kasich who spoke out against the measure.
Tuesday, a group of governors sent a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Charles Schumer, asking them not to consider the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson amendment and renew support for bipartisan efforts.
“We ask you to support bipartisan efforts to bring stability and affordability to our insurance markets,” the letter said. “Legislation should receive consideration under regular order, including hearings in health committees and input from the appropriate health-related parties. Improvements to our health insurance markets should control costs, stabilize the market, and positively impact coverage and care of Americans including many who are dealing with mental illness, chronic health problems, and drug addiction.”
The letter was signed by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Kasich, Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, Massachusetts Gov. Charles Baker, Virginia Gov. Terence McAuliffe, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott.
Email: [email protected]; follow on Twitter @AndreaLannom
See more from The Register-Herald
