Ohio’s senators share thoughts on House’s health care bill

Plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act now move on to the Senate after the bill narrowly passed the House May 4, but neither of Ohio’s U.S. senators supports the House’s version of the bill.

No House Democrats voted for the America Health Care Act bill and the same is expected in the Senate, Sherrod Brown included.

Following the vote, Brown blasted the bill that he said could “rip health care away from up to 900,000 Ohioans, including more than 200,000 Ohioans receiving treatment for opioid addiction.”

He also said the plan “weakens protections for those living with pre-existing conditions and does nothing to lower costs or improve care for Ohioans.”

“I agree with Gov. (John) Kasich: We cannot allow Washington politicians with taxpayer-funded health insurance to rip coverage away from Ohioans who are battling cancer, getting regular checkups for the first time or finally getting treatment for their opioid addiction,” Brown said. “This bill threatens the health care coverage of nearly 1 million Ohioans, including 200,000 currently battling addiction, and allows companies to jack up prices on people with pre-existing conditions like asthma and diabetes. This bill is heartless, it is bad for Ohio, and it will leave real Ohioans struggling to afford care. Instead of taking care away, we should be working to reduce the price of prescription drugs and improve care for everyone.”

In a multi-tweet thread prior to the House’s vote, Brown alphabetically listed pre-existing conditions he said people may be charged “a lot more for” under that plan. His list included everything from autism to high cholesterol to ulcers.

Brown’s Republican counterpart, Rob Portman, said he does not support the House bill as it’s currently constructed.

“I continue to have concerns that this bill does not do enough to protect Ohio’s Medicaid expansion population, especially those who are receiving treatment for heroin and prescription drug abuse,” Portman said. “We have an opioid crisis in this country, and I’m going to continue to work with my colleagues on solutions that ensure that those who are impacted by this epidemic can continue to receive treatment.”

Portman said the “status quo” on health care is unsustainable, however.

“Premiums and deductibles continue their steep climb, and the skyrocketing cost of health care is hurting Ohio families and small businesses,” he said. “There’s only one insurance company in more than one third of Ohio counties, which is leaving Ohioans with fewer choices and higher costs. Congress must take responsible action that lowers health care costs, but these changes must be made in a way that does not leave people behind.”

Portman’s concerns over the House’s version of the bill are shared by other Republican senators. The Senate is expected to write its own version of the bill, the Washington Examiner reported.

A 12-member working group will be developing the Senate’s version of the bill. While some elements of the House’s version could be incorporated, that bill will not be their starting point,

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, is part of the 12-member working group. He told the Washington Examiner there’s no deadline for the group to produce a bill.

“We are just working toward getting 51 votes,” he said.