TRUMPCARE: Senator Murray Visits Patients at Seattle Community Health Clinic Concerned about Losing Coverage Under Trumpcare As Republicans Continue Work on Secret Health Care Plan in DC

Senate Republicans have said they will not hold hearings or share bill with public before the Senate votes on it

More than 600,000 Washingtonians are covered through the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion; could lose health coverage under Republican Trumpcare legislation

(Washington, D.C.) –  Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate health committee, toured Seattle’s International Community Health Services (ICHS) clinic today and heard from patients and practitioners about the dire impact the Republican health care bill would have on their ability to get the life-saving care they need. After touring the facility, Senator Murray was joined by ICHS CEO Teresita Batayola to discuss how the GOP’s reported health care plans would hinder the clinic’ ability to provide quality, affordable coverage for working families, including people from some of Seattle most vulnerable communities. Senator Murray also met with Seattle residents Kelly Hill, an HIV+ woman with a developmentally-disabled son on Medicaid, and Doug Hathaway, a Parkinson’s Disease patient whose medication is covered by Medicaid, who shared stories about the debilitating effects Trumpcare would have on their ability to get the coverage they need for them and their families to thrive.

“The concern I heard today in stories from patients at ICHS about how they might lose coverage for life-saving treatment if Trumpcare is enacted was moving and powerful,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) about her visit. “The last thing patients and their families should have to worry about is Republicans taking the care they rely on away or forcing them to pay more—and that’s why I’m doing everything I can to make sure their voices are heard in back in Washington, D.C. and fighting to keep Republicans from jamming this harmful bill through.”

Millions of people across the country would lose their coverage if Trumpcare becomes law, including approximately 72,000-100,000 people in Washington state who would lose their current private insurance. Additionally, more than 600,000 people currently enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program could potentially lose their coverage under the GOP’s reported health care plan unless the state can find $1.4 billion in new revenue each year. To date, Senate Republicans have refused to share the text of the legislation or schedule any public hearings on the Trumpcare bill, creating uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of people in Washington state who rely on health coverage afforded under the Affordable Care Act.