Policy Action Network Action Alert

September 25, 2017

Action Alert!

Dear Policy Action Network Members,

Please see the CBHC Action Alert below.

****ACTION ALERT****

According to the Senate rules, Republicans have until September 30 ^th to pass a healthcare reform bill using the reconciliation process. This is an absolutely critical week to make your voice heard! Please continue your efforts and share the urgency with your friends and community partners. Please take the time to contact Senator Cory Gardner to let him know how this bill will impact Colorado. Here are the numbers to call:

DC Office: (202) 224-5941

Denver Office: (303) 391-5777
Pueblo: (719) 543-1324
Grand Junction: (970) 245-9553
Greeley: (970) 352-5546
Yuma: (970) 848-3095
Colorado Springs: (719) 632-6706
Fort Collins: (970) 484-3502

You can use/modify this script when you call:

I am calling to ask the Senator to vote NO on the Graham-Cassidy bill. Capping Medicaid and eliminating the Medicaid expansion will have a devastating effect on people with mental illnesses and addictions who rely on Medicaid for lifesaving treatment. Please vote NO and go back to working in a bipartisan manner to solve the nation's health care issues. I'm calling from [city, state, and zip] and my name is [first and last name].

Thanks for all your efforts to date and thank you for focusing your advocacy efforts this week especially!

Thank you to all of you who called to register your voice in support of mental health after our Alert last Friday. This morning we received the following from Colorado Behavioral Health Council and pass it along to you. Please keep those calls going! Thank you!

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September 19, 2017

Members,

Senate Republicans are counting votes right now on the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill and all indications are that this will be another close vote. Here are 12 points to keep in mind when making calls to legislators asking them to oppose this bill:

12 FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LATEST GOP HEALTH CARE REPEAL (GRAHAM-CASSIDY)

1. MASSIVE STATE BY STATE FUNDING CUTS. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a report showing in 2027, every state in the nation would see federal funding cuts under Graham-Cassidy, totaling nearly $300 billion.

2. NO FULL CBO SCORE. The Congressional Budget Office announced it would not be able to produce a complete analysis on Graham-Cassidy that includes the impact on deficits, how many will lose coverage or the increase in premiums by September 30. Senator Bill Cassidy admitted " I just don't care about the coverage numbers ."

3. PRE-EXISTING CONDITION PREMIUM HIKES. The Center for American Progress released a report showing how much more people with pre-existing conditions would pay each year under Graham-Cassidy. For example, an individual with asthma would face a premium surcharge of $4,340. The surcharge for pregnancy would be $17,320 and $142,650 more for patients with metastatic cancer.

4. WORSE THAN BEFORE. Fitch Rating Agency found that this bill was "more disruptive for most states than prior Republican efforts." The Washington Post found this bill is worse than previous health care repeal bills, writing ""The latest Obamacare overhaul bill gaining steam on Capitol Hill slashes health-care spending more deeply and would likely cover fewer people than a July bill that failed precisely because of such concerns."

5. MORE UNINSURED VETS. Rand Corp study showing Republican repeal efforts would increase the number of uninsured veterans. The report showed that the ACA's Medicaid expansion had increased coverage for low-income veterans who lived further from VA facilities. The report found that the ACA was responsible for reducing the uninsured rate of veterans by about one-third, from 9.1% to 5.8%, in 2015.

6. MORE UNINSURED CHILDREN. The Center for American Progress released an analysis showing that children are at immediate risk of losing coverage in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Utah with CHIP funding running out quickly.

7. KEY STAKEHOLDERS OPPOSE. The AARP , AMA , six leading physician groups , American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and 15 more high-profile patient groups and Children's Hospital Association are all unified in opposing the Republican repeal bill.

8. GOP GOVERNORS OPPOSE. Republican Governors from Alaska , Ohio , Massachusetts and New Hampshire have come out against the plan.

9. FAILS THE MCCAIN TEST. The NYT's David Leonhardt's column, " John McCain Faces a New Test of His Principles ."

10. RAND PAUL IS A 'NO.' GOP Senator Rand Paul opposes Graham-Cassidy, writing in an op-ed , "In all ways, this bill is also ObamaCare Lite. In no way is it repeal the way we promised. I will oppose this bill as I did the other fake repeal bills, and I urge those who want repeal to do so, as well."

11. INCLUDES THE AGE TAX. This repeal bill still lets insurance companies charge up to 5 times more for people over 50, what AARP has dubbed an "Age Tax".

12. NO GUARANTEE IN THE HOUSE. Because this repeal bill is worse than previous ones, the Washington Post r e p o r t s "Would the House pass Graham-Cassidy? It's not a slam dunk."

As with previous efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Colorado's Senators are split. Senator Bennet remains staunchly opposed to any effort to repeal and replace and Senator Gardner is expected to be a "yes" vote. He needs to hear from constituents about how this bill will affect Coloradans and our state as a whole (funding for Medicaid expansion will be distributed equally amongst the states in block grants - severely penalizing those states that have already elected to expand their Medicaid programs.)

Here are the numbers to call for Senator Gardner:

Denver Office: (303) 391-5777 DC Office: (202) 224-5941

Thank you!