(CONTRA COSTA COUNTY) - Congressman Mark DeSaulnier hosted a virtual town hall meeting on Monday, July 20, to discuss the health care provisions of H.R. 1, arguing that reductions to Medicaid funding could increase the number of uninsured Americans and place new financial pressure on hospitals and local health systems.
Photo Credit: YouTube / Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
Joined by Contra Costa Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax and Protect Our Care Director of Policy Programs Vaishu Jawahar, DeSaulnier discussed the rising cost of health care, insurance coverage, and what the panel described as the potential effects of the legislation on patients and health care systems nationwide.
DeSaulnier argued the measure would reshape the nation's health care system by reducing Medicaid funding by approximately $1 trillion over the coming years, citing estimates discussed during the town hall.
"Everything is impacted because our health care system is connected," DeSaulnier said. "The payer mix at every hospital is interconnected, particularly in the Bay Area."
Photo Credit: YouTube / Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
The congressman criticized the U.S. health care system, calling it the most expensive among developed nations while producing comparatively poor outcomes.
"We have the most expensive health care system of any developed country," DeSaulnier said. "We're not very efficient, quite frankly."
He also argued that the legislation would worsen existing disparities in access to care.
"The Affordable Care Act actually reduced mortality for low-income populations," DeSaulnier said. "H.R.1 will go in the opposite direction. People will die because of our health care policy."
H.R.1, the sweeping budget reconciliation law, includes changes to Medicaid, Affordable Care Act subsidies, tax policy, immigration funding, and energy programs. During the town hall, DeSaulnier criticized its healthcare provisions and said they would have broad consequences for patients and providers.
Colfax said the effects could be especially significant in Contra Costa County, where he estimated that as many as 94,000 residents could lose Medicaid coverage because of new eligibility requirements and administrative barriers.
"The human cost of this from purely a health care perspective cannot be overestimated," Colfax said. "Up to 94,000 people in Contra Costa County alone are at risk for losing their Medicaid coverage."
He said losing coverage would likely result in fewer preventive screenings and primary care visits, causing more residents to seek treatment only after developing more serious illnesses.
"What happens then is people come to the emergency room because they don't have the primary care they need," Colfax said.
According to Colfax, the financial effects would also strain Contra Costa Health's public hospital and clinics.
"We estimate that our health care system will be $950 million- nearly $1 billion- in debt over the next five years," Colfax said. "There's no conceivable way that local governments can make up for these deficits."
Jawahar described the legislation as representing what she called the largest reduction in federal health care spending in U.S. history.
"By passing HR1, the president and the majority of Congress delivered the largest cuts to health care in history," Jawahar said. "They slashed over a trillion dollars from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act."
She also said more than 1 million Californians have already lost Affordable Care Act or Medicaid coverage since the bill's passage and estimated that more than 15 million Americans could become uninsured over the next decade, citing projections discussed during the town hall.
DeSaulnier said Democrats would continue pursuing proposals aimed at expanding coverage, including Medicare for All, while also advocating for lower prescription drug costs and reforms intended to reduce insurance claim denials.
"We have the most inefficient system you could have," DeSaulnier said. "You're making people sicker, and then you're going to either have to pay for the care when they're sicker, or they're going to pass away."
Throughout the nearly two-hour town hall, speakers repeatedly emphasized expanding access to preventive care, preserving Medicaid funding, and addressing rising health care costs as priorities they said would determine the future of health care both locally and nationally.
Note: Independent estimates of the number of Americans who could lose health insurance coverage under H.R. 1 vary depending on the methodology used. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the legislation would increase the number of uninsured Americans by roughly 11.8 million by 2034, while advocacy organizations cited during the town hall projected higher figures by including additional policy changes and expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
To add to or correct any information in this report, please email me at yashi.s@lead4earth.org or leave a comment below.
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