Some Republican lawmakers in Oregon are joining Democrats in their displeasure at the replacement for the Affordable Care Act.
Oregon’s top Republican, Greg Walden, is shepherding the new American Health Care Act through Congress. He’s called it the first step in helping families obtain what he calls “truly affordable health care. But if passed, the Oregon Health Authority says hundreds of thousands of Oregonians would lose coverage.
Roseburg dentist, Cedric Hayden, said many Republican lawmakers agree that’s troubling, “I think what you’ll hear as this develops is: This proposal needs a little more work from the Oregon prospective, if you will.”
He said Oregonians on Medicaid should be able to keep coverage under the new bill for three years. But after that, things would change.
Republican Knute Buehler, a doctor from Bend, said the bill is bad for Oregon because it would eliminate the Medicaid safety net for many people and blow a bigger hole in the state budget.
Copyright 2017 Oregon Public Broadcasting
