U.S. House Democrats say majority Republicans up for re-election next year will face a public backlash if they vote to approve a GOP health care bill today. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says there are sufficient votes to pass the measure. But Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says "Trumpcare" will strip coverage from millions and voters will hold them accountable. Budget analysts have estimated 24 million people could be uninsured by 2026 under the bill, including 14 million by next year. Pelosi says the bill is being pushed through without a revised estimate from congressional budget analysts. GOP opposition forced House leaders to pull the bill last March. A new report by the Center for Community Solutions shows rural Ohio counties would be especially hurt by proposed changes to Medicaid at the state and federal levels. Rural areas have a much higher percentage of the population enrolled in the program compared with urban and suburban counties. The bill in Congress includes 800 million dollars in cuts to Medicaid. And the proposed state budget makes it harder for the unemployed to maintain their Medicaid coverage. Center spokesperson John Corlett says the measures will have a disproportionate impact on rural Ohioans.
Corlett says rural counties have higher per-capita spending on Medicaid, so cuts would have a greater impact on their local economies.
