Feinstein: Health Care Bill Would Cut Coverage for 4 Million Californians

Up to 4 million people in California would lose health coverage over the next decade under the Republican health care bill being proposed in the Senate, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday.

About 1.6 million people would lose coverage next year, and by 2026 the state would lose $24 billion in federal money for Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid health care plan for the poor, Feinstein told reporters in a conference call with fellow Democrats Gov. Jerry Brown and Sen. Kamala Harris.

“It's the most indefensible bill I've actually seen in 24 years in the Senate,” Feinstein said.

The numbers came from the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, Congress’ Joint Economic Committee and the state of California, according to Feinstein’s office.

Republican leaders had hoped for a vote on this bill this week but said Tuesday they’ll delay it until after the July 4 recess.

The GOP bill would roll back much of former President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care law, ending a tax penalty for people who don’t buy insurance and allowing states to opt out of requirements that insurers cover certain services.

It would phase out extra federal money that California and 30 other states get to expand Medicaid and put annual caps on federal funding for the program.

Taxes on the wealthy and medical companies, which funded Obama’s law, would be eliminated.

Brown said the bill would eliminate funding for drug treatment, exacerbating homelessness and crime.

“This thing is bad for people,” Brown said. “Millions and millions of people are going to suffer. That's a crazy thing for elected representatives to inflict on people.”