Letter to the Hon. Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Senator Orrin Hatch - Senate Dems Urge GOP Leaders to Use the Extra Time to Hold Public Hearings So Senators Can Hear Concerns Directly from the Key Stakeholders & Experts, like Medical and Patient Groups, Insurance Companies & More

Letter

Dear Leader McConnell, Chairman Alexander and Chairman Hatch:

Given your decision to delay the vote on the Better Care Reconciliation Act, we request that you use this additional time to hold public hearings so that Senators can invite impartial experts, including patients, to testify on the policies in the bill, especially the radically conservative Cruz/Lee proposal released to the public only five days ago. This will allow members to hear unfiltered and unbiased analysis of how the bill will affect their states and the health and financial security of the constituents they represent, including the impact of Medicaid cuts to vulnerable populations like children, people with disabilities, and people with pre-existing conditions.

In addition to expert testimony, we request that you commit not to proceed to the bill without a complete score from the Congressional Budget Office, including an estimate of the bill's impact on coverage, premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and the federal deficit. The latest version of the bill includes proposals that would vastly change the regulatory landscape of the commercial insurance market and erode consumer protections that exist today.

Below are statements from stakeholders that provided feedback on and had significant concerns with the most recent version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act. This includes patient advocacy groups such as the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association, provider organizations such as the American Hospital Association, physician groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association, and major insurer groups like America's Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

We request that you draw from this list of stakeholders and invite them to provide testimony in a public hearing this week.

Sincerely,

Senator Charles E. Schumer
Senator Patty Murray
Senator Ron Wyden

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