GOP HEALTH CARE REPEAL BILL BY THE NUMBERS IN TENNESSEE
GOP HEALTH CARE REPEAL BILL BY THE NUMBERS
634,600 Tennesseans Would Lose Coverage
$5.3 Billion Cut from Tennessee’s Medicaid Funding
Job Losses, Premium Increases and Weakened Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions
As the GOP-led Senate continues to press forward with health care repeal, a quick look at the numbers shows that the the impact on Tennessee could be disastrous.
Senators Alexander and Corker have a duty to protect Tennesseans and should reject any plan that cuts coverage, guts Medicaid, causes job losses, increases premiums, and weakens protections for those with pre-existing conditions––all of which this plan clearly does.
“The Senate’s repeal bill makes health care so much worse for so many people in so many ways, all to give huge tax breaks to the wealthy and big corporations, that it simply can’t be fixed,” stated Dr. Brent Morris. “The American people have rejected repeal. Instead of cutting backroom deals, Senators Alexander and Corker should start working with Democrats to keep what works and fix what doesn’t in the current law,” added April Cook, a registered nurse.
Cuts Health Coverage
- In 2026, 634,600 people in Tennessee would lose coverage under this bill. This includes:
- 239,500 people in the individual market.
- 395,000 people with Medicaid, including 15,400 Veterans.
- In 2022, the uninsured rate in Tennessee would increase by 48.6 percent. In that year, there would be 97,000 more uninsured children and 255,000 more uninsured adults in Tennessee.
- In 2018 alone, 281,950 people in Tennessee would lose coverage.
- Reducing health insurance coverage could lead to 765 additional deaths in Tennessee in 2026.
Increases Costs
- Increases average premiums by $2,412 in Tennessee in 2020 and preserves the age tax.
- A 60-year old making about $18,000 per year would pay $2,426 more and an older person making about $42,000 would pay $5,517 more in Tennessee.
- Even a 30-year old making about $18,000 per year would pay $696 more in premiums in Tennessee than under current law in 2020.
- Increases deductibles by $3,453 in Tennessee for a person making about $42,000 per year, and $5,322 for a person making about $18,000.
- Increases average 2018 premiums by $1,409 in Tennessee.
Weakens Protections
- Up to 524,000 people in Tennessee with employer-sponsored coverage would lose protections against annual or lifetime limits.
- Weakens protections for 2,718,800 people with pre-existing conditions in Tennessee.
- Even if the Senate bill’s fund for treating opioid use disorders were increased, it would still be only a fraction of the $144 million cost of comprehensive coverage for all people treated for opioid use disorders in Tennessee in 2026.
Hurts the Economy
- Cuts $5.3 billion in Federal Medicaid funding to Tennessee in 2026, resulting in fewer people covered, or cuts to education and other key services.