HILO — The AARP has released a scathing assessment of the health care bill currently under review by the U.S. Congress.
HILO — The AARP has released a scathing assessment of the health care bill currently under review by the U.S. Congress.
“Congress should not rush this bill through,” said Barbara Kim Stanton, AARP Hawaii state director. “Health care and insuring access to health care is too important. AARP is strongly against the age tax and other aspects of the bill that will give tax breaks to drug companies and increases profits for insurance companies while cutting tax credits and dramatically increasing costs and risks for older Americans.”
AARP did its own study of the American Health Care Act, which Congress has been debating. The AHCA is a Republican-led effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, informally known as Obamacare, and replace it. The Affordable Care Act became law in 2010 during President Obama’s first term.
Proponents of the proposed law say the Affordable Care Act has not stopped premium increases, as had been promised, and that it needs to be repealed. Opponents say the new bill will lead to higher premiums, make people lose health insurance and that it will be a step backward, rather than forward.
Near Hilo’s Ross department store, shoppers who paused on their day’s journey Thursday expressed frustration about efforts to change the current law.
“I would like the Affordable Care Act to stay as it is,” said Isamu Kanekuni. He said the only way he would approve of changing the law is if Congress finds a way to improve upon it.
But, he said, “It’s not going to pass.” He said he’s not concerned, personally, because he has private insurance and feels people won’t be interested unless the law directly affects them.
The elderly would take the biggest hit if the new law passes, according to AARP.
AARP said Thursday that a 64-year-old in Hawaii making $25,000 a year would see health-insurance costs rise $6,791 if the American Health Care Act passes. By contrast, a 55-year-old earning the same amount would see an increase, too — but only $3,578.
Someone just nine years older would have to pay $3,213 more per year than the 55-year-old.
Mike Kerrigan, 74, a semi-retired reporter visiting from northern California, said, “the whole thing sucks. It should be single-payer. There’s no other reasonable way of having health care.”
He said the country pays for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, police and fire. It should also offer health care, he said.
AARP said a “flat tax credit proposal” in the American Health Care Act would decrease assistance by as much as $5,900 for low- and moderate-income older adults.
“We need national health care,” said Paul O’Leary, 55, of Mountain View. He would like to see a national, single-payer health system that covers everyone.
“This is stupid, what they’re doing now,” he said. “We’re the only major developed country that doesn’t have one.”
Perhaps the U.S. could do like Canada, he said, and set up districts to offer national health care.
“Even insurance companies, they’re a ripoff,” O’Leary said. “If you ever look at what the CEOs make.”
Clients of the Hawaii County Office of Aging have not raised concerns yet about the evolving bill in Congress, said Nicholas Los Baños, aging and disability services manager.
“It’s going to be felt a lot more on this island, especially, if it does affect Medicaid,” he said.
O’Leary is a veteran and said the nation could even use veteran health care as an example. It serves veterans well, there’s a lack of lawsuits and, “if there’s any profits, it all goes back into the system.”