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| credit: Rick McKee, Augusta Chronicle |
When the CBO said that the Senate substitute health care bill would deprive 22 million more citizens of health care in its first decade, Repugnants dove for cover and
canceled a scheduled Senate vote this week. About a half dozen Senators oppose the current bill, and the Repugnants need everyone to overcome the Democrats. The cat calls could be heard coast to coast. Then the CBO issued another report, saving the worst for last. The non-partisan agency predicts that by 2036, Medicaid funding will be
35% lower than it is now, meaning millions more poor Americans will have to go without health care in the future. Eleven million people have gained health insurance through the expansion of eligibility under the Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare). Nineteen states that have adopted expanded coverage will be forced to roll back coverage for those citizens who are now receiving their health care through Medicaid. One estimate is that states which want to maintain expanded Medicaid coverage will have to spend an
extra $43 billion to replace declining federal contributions. That is not going to happen.
