Blog Stage 3: Health Care Bill - Yay or Nay?

       The article "A Scary New Senate Health Care Bill" was published by the New York Times on July 13th, 2017. The editorial board consists of 14 very credible critics that wrote this post intended for the sick.

       Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, (pictured on the left), released a new proposal to overhaul the Affordable Care Act that lacked the votes to replace former president Barack Obama's 2010 health-care law. U.S. Senators Susan Collins or Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky are opposed to the bill because it simply hasn't improved. The Affordable Care Act has provided medical coverage for millions of Americans and has grown more popular with the people.

       The main argument of the article is that this revised legislation must not be passed because it will only do more harm than good. The original bill would leave 22 million people without health insurance and McConnell's changes will only increase that. It also makes impactful cuts to Medicaid, which provides health care to over 70 million people. This bill makes it extremely difficult for those with pre-existing medical conditions to afford the treatment they need and others who become sick in the future to be unable to afford it as well.

       I agree with the author that the new version of the health-care bill is not beneficial at all but is actually damaging. The bill targets the sick and helpless but also expands the use of tax-free health savings accounts, which is advantageous to the richer families. I believe the Affordable Care Act is exactly what this new bill isn't: affordable.