Speaking on a panel at the SXSW festival in Austin, Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego pulled no punches while discussing the Republican push to repeal Obamacare led by House Speaker Paul Ryan. After mentioning the impending disaster of repealing the Affordable Care Act, he credited Paul Ryan for his ability to go on national television and straight-up lie about the consequences of the repeal. He said Ryan is “one of the best liars I have ever seen in the world.”
Here’s Rep. Gallego delivering the cold, hard truth about Paul Ryan:
Rep. Gallego was referring to Paul Ryan’s mockable “health care” presentation (complete with PowerPoint slides!). Despite Ryan’s reassurances, industry experts say his plan would be a disaster:
“We cannot support the AHCA as drafted because of the expected decline in health insurance coverage and the potential harm it would cause to vulnerable patient populations,” James L. Madara, chief executive of the American Medical Association and a doctor, wrote in a letter to committee leaders overseeing work on the bill.
Richard Pollack, CEO of the American Hospital Association, voiced similar fears, saying efforts to “restructure the Medicaid program” by shifting it from an entitlement program to one based on a per capita allocation “will have the effect of making significant reductions in a program that provides services for our most vulnerable populations and already pays providers significantly less than the cost of providing care.”
America’s Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry’s largest trade association, sent a letter Wednesday saying that while it appreciated several of the proposed changes, the changes to Medicaid “could result in unnecessary disruptions in the coverage and care beneficiaries depend on.”