GRAHAM-CASSIDY HEALTHCARE BILL - The latest effort to repeal and replace The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as “Obama-Care” is a bill crafted by Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham, both republicans. The “Graham-Cassidy” bill would establish a Block-Grant system to states to cover healthcare costs for Medicaid recipients… Senator Cassidy told CNN yesterday how the bill would work.“Our bill gives the Governor responsibility, which she or he may not want, but that’s the best way to get people covered," But Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards doesn't see it that way. “I don’t have any doubt that Louisiana would be one of the states that come out the worst under that particular proposal,” explains Edwards.
When he became governor in 2016, Edwards expanded Medicaid for Louisiana and since then more than 430,000 residents have gained healthcare insurance. Edwards says that could change under the Graham-Cassidy bill as it would actually end the expansion in 2020. In a letter sent Tuesday to the U.S. Senate, Edwards urged leaders to consider a more bipartisan approach to healthcare reform. According to Edwards, those who signed the letter included: "Democrats, Republicans and Independents that are recommending that Congress, particularly the Senate, not move forward with the Graham-Cassidy bill,” Nine other governors signed the letter. A report in the Chicago Tribune cites an analysis by Avalere Health, a Washington-based health policy consulting firm, that forecasts the Graham-Cassidy bill would "..sharply reduce federal spending on insurance and cause 34 states to lose such funding." U.S. Senate leadership hopes to vote on the measure by September 30th. Public Radio WRKF in Baton Rouge contributed to this report.
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