U.S. Senator Susan Collins’ Statement on CBO’s Score of the House’s ACA Replacement Bill

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued this statement following the Congressional Budget Office’s release of its cost and coverage estimate for the House’s Affordable Care Act replacement bill:

“The goal of any ACA replacement should be to improve access to quality health care while providing consumers with more choices and restraining costs. Unfortunately, the CBO estimates that 23 million Americans would lose insurance coverage over the next decade, and the impact would disproportionately affect older, low-income Americans. In addition, for a 64-year old with an income of $26,500, the out-of-pocket premium cost could soar from $1,700 to as high as $16,100, an 850 percent increase.

“The ACA does need substantial reform. The individual health insurance markets are in danger of collapsing in many states, 28 million Americans remain without coverage, and those who do have coverage are experiencing huge spikes in out-of-pocket costs.

“Senator Cassidy and I recently brought together a group of Republicans and Democrats to determine whether there is a bipartisan path forward on a new health care reform bill. I urge my colleagues to support the comprehensive ACA replacement plan Senator Cassidy and I introduced that will allow more Americans to obtain health insurance, preserve significant consumer protections, and help moderate the cost of health care.”