Today, the Center for American Progress published two separate briefs – the first one titled, The Senate Health Care Bill Would Devastate Communities of Color, which shows that the plan will disproportionately hurt people of color while giving a massive tax break to the wealthiest Americans. If it succeeds, thousands will die and millions more will suffer. Here are three things you need to know about the Senate health care bill and communities of color.
- Defunding Planned Parenthood would reduce access to health care for women of color
- Allowing insurers to charge older Americans five times the premium of a young person while decreasing subsidies with age threatens the well-being of countless people of color
- Slashing coverage for millions of Americans risks increased racial disparities in health outcomes
The second one titled, The Senate’s ACA Repeal Bill Would Devastate Rural Communities shows that the plan to repeal the ACA and limit federal support for Medicaid will raise costs and limit access to critical health care services. And hospital closures also have a ripple effect; the loss of higher-paying hospital-related jobs can devastate local rural economies.
- Medicaid covers a greater share of children and adults in rural and small-town areas than in urban areas.
- The Senate bill pushes millions of low-income Medicaid enrollees into the private insurance market.
- The Senate bill increases costs for individuals who currently purchase insurance through the ACA’s marketplaces.
- On average, a 64-year-old with an income of $56,800 would pay $13,700 more just to keep the same plan.
- These cuts will hasten the trend of rural hospital closures.
- On average, Medicaid makes up more than 10 percent of rural hospitals’ net revenues.
- In roughly 15 percent of rural hospitals, Medicaid payments are 20 percent of net revenues.
- More than 40 percent of rural counties rely on hospitals for more than 10 percent of their employment.
- Nationally, the health care and social services sectors employ 17 percent of all workers in rural counties.
- These jobs are also significantly higher paying than other jobs in the same community.
- When a rural hospital closes, the area’s per capita income decreases by about $1,000 a year.
