Indiana Democrats, Republicans React To Senate Health Bill

U.S. Senate Republicans released their version of a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act Thursday, and there was reaction from both sides of the aisle in Indiana.

The Senate’s health care bill is similar to the House version in that it would get rid of the ACA individual mandate to receive health care coverage, cut back on Medicaid spending, allow states to waive services, and defund Planned Parenthood.

Former Indiana State Health commissioner Woody Myers says the bill worsens an already-weakened health care situation after large insurers this week left Indiana’s Obamacare marketplace – something Myers blames federal Republicans for.

“The chaos the Republican Party is wrecking across our health care system won’t just be felt in our insurance markets but in doctor’s offices, ER’s and clinics across the state of Indiana,” says Myers.

Indiana Republican Party chairman Kyle Hupfer says the Senate legislation is all part of the GOP promise to repeal and replace the ACA. In a statement, Hupfer says the necessary solution is “patient-focused, not government-controlled” health care.

Small business owner Molly Connor is one of 70,000 Hoosiers who may lose her insurance on Indiana’s exchange. She says she’d like to see a more open debate.

“It confuses me as a consumer why this needs to be done in secret and debated in such a short amount of time,” says Connor.

The Senate GOP says it wants to vote on the bill next week.