Obama: Senate BCRA bill 'is not a healthcare bill'

Former President Barack Obama took to Facebook Thursday to discuss his thoughts on Senate Republicans' long-awaited healthcare bill, calling the proposed legislation "a massive transfer of wealth from middle-class and poor families to the richest people in America."

Since passing the ACA, Mr. Obama said "more than 90 percent of Americans know the security of health insurance." That privilege, among others, he said, would disappear under the proposed repeal and replacement plan, dubbed the "Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017."

"The Senate bill, unveiled today, is not a healthcare bill. It's a massive transfer of wealth from middle-class and poor families to the richest people in America … Those with private insurance will experience higher premiums and higher deductibles, with lower tax credits to help working families cover the costs, even as their plans might no longer cover pregnancy, mental healthcare or expensive prescriptions. Discrimination based on pre-existing conditions could become the norm again. Millions of families will lose coverage entirely," he wrote.

The former president noted that though Congress may make changes to the bill during the next couple of weeks, those changes "cannot change the fundamental meanness at the core of this legislation."

However, Mr. Obama remained hopeful that party leaders would be able to compromise on legislation that would benefit the American people. He called on the American people to speak out and ensure their voices are heard by members of Congress because "the [healthcare] debate has always been about something bigger than politics. It's about the character of our country — who we are, and who we aspire to be." That, he said, is "always worth fighting for."

To read Mr. Obama's full statement, click here.

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