Moran should keep eye on what’s bad for Kansas

Sen. Jerry Moran and his colleagues opened Senate debate Tuesday on health care without knowing what they will be voting on or their end game. Pressured by their own Republican Party to deliver a win for their base, they put the health coverage of millions of Americans and one-sixth of our economy at risk without a clear path forward.

Moran is appreciated for thoughtfully engaging Kansans in a discussion about the Senate’s health plans over the course of four town hall meetings. He responded to hundreds of Kansans who urged him to vote no on the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act and any plan that harmed Kansans.

Moran consistently has said he opposed Senate replacement health plans because the Medicaid cuts disproportionately impact Kansas, which already has a lean Medicaid program. He understands that less money for Medicaid means fewer services for children, people with disabilities, and seniors in nursing homes.

He deserves credit for standing up for Kansans by voting against BRCA. What he’ll do now is not as clear.

Right now, the leading replacement option for the Affordable Care Act is the “skinny” plan that eliminates the employer mandate, individual mandate and the medical device tax. Previous analyses show the plan results in 15 million Americans losing coverage and premiums increasing by 20 percent.

We urge Moran to reject this plan because it will reduce coverage and increase costs for Kansans. Additionally, the new bill – and any conference committee compromise that might come from it – will have been drafted 100 percent behind closed doors.

Opposing the “skinny” plan would be consistent with Moran’s calls for an open, transparent process that results in increased access and lower costs for Kansans.

Senate leadership is publicly admitting the “skinny” plan is their way to revitalize BCRA. The “skinny” plan offers leadership the opportunity to use the conference committee report to eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions and include devastating cuts to Kansas’ Medicaid program that total nearly $1 billion. The cuts will make it harder for Kansans to get care and tougher for providers to keep their doors open.

Who will this affect in Kansas? Five-year-old Danny, for one. Born prematurely, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cortical vision impairment. Danny uses a wheelchair and requires constant monitoring of his health. Without services provided through Medicaid, he could not attend school and have an opportunity to succeed in life.

The ACA isn’t perfect, but it works for many, including people like Meg, whose pre-existing condition kept her from leaving a job and pursuing her dream to own a business. Today she owns and runs a successful restaurant. Thousands of Kansans like her depend on access to affordable insurance, so they can stay healthy and contribute to their communities.

The only way to ensure that health care is crafted in an open, bipartisan way, is to vote against Sen. Mitch McConnell’s “skinny” plan. Moran has a tough decision to make, I hope he votes based on how these plans will impact Kansans, not with party leaders who are pressuring him to rubber stamp a plan that is bad for Kansas.

This story was originally published July 27, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Moran should keep eye on what’s bad for Kansas."