Florida Republican lawmakers are not sold on the new healthcare replacement bill
Florida lawmakers are not on board at least now with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s (R-Wisc.) American Health Care Act. At least three are saying no to Speaker Ryan’s plan.
A well respected Republican Congresswoman from South Florida has said that she can’t support the GOP’s current plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who represents part of Dade County said in a statement to the Miami Herald that she would vote no on the bill “as currently written.”
Florida is the home to many elderly Americans, with about 20 percent of its population 65 and older. The CBO found elderly Americans would see some of the highest increases in their premiums among those in the individual marketplace. Unlike other states, Florida did not expand Medicaid coverage leaving many people in the state, including many Latinos, without coverage that is available in other states.
Rep. Ros-Lehtinen pointed out that “The bill’s consequences for South Florida are clear: too many of my constituents will lose insurance and there will be less funds to help the poor and elderly with their healthcare.”
Several Republicans have expressed discomfort with the bill after an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office released Monday showed it could cause 24 million people to lose health insurance over the next 10 years.
The CBO also said older people would face steep price hikes.
According to an example provided by the CBO, a 64-year-old who earns $26,500 a year would see her premiums increase from $1,700 to $14,600
Less you think that Ros-Lehtinen is not a true Conservative, “I voted to repeal Obamacare many times because it was not the right fix for our broken health care system and did not live up to its promise to the American people, but this plan is not the replacement South Florida needs,” the Congresswoman said. “We should work together to write a bipartisan bill that works for our community and our nation without hurting the elderly and disadvantaged among us.”
While Rep. Ros-Lehtinen feels the replacement law goes too far there are some Florida lawmakers that feel it does not go far enough. Rep. Ted Yoho who represents Central Florida in the Gainesville area. “My reservations are many,” the House Freedom Caucus member told PBS’s Judy Woodruff on March 14. “I like the direction we’re moving in, but I could not support the bill as it is right now.”
Finally, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is still not on board with the plan: “Obviously it’s not 100 percent of what I would want to see,” Rubio told WJNO Radio on March 8, without detailing exactly what he’s concerned about.
Some quotes came from Associated Press
