CHICAGO --- Northwestern University experts comment on the devastating effects of the proposed U.S. Senate Republican’s health care bill.   

Andrew Koppelman, the John Paul Stevens Professor of Law and professor of political science at Northwestern University and constitutional law scholar.

“This isn't really a health care bill,” said Koppelman. “It's better understood as an anti-health care bill. It cuts about a trillion dollars that was going to be spent on medical care for the poor and middle class and blows all the money on big tax cuts for the rich. If any foreign power were to try to do to Americans what this bill is attempting, it would be an act of war.”

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He is the author of “The Tough Luck Constitution and the Assault on Health Care Reform” (Oxford University Press, 2013).

Dr. Matthew Davis, professor of pediatrics and of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

“The proposed cuts will affect health care benefits for over 30 million children on Medicaid,” Davis said. “Senate leaders present their bill as providing states with flexibility. The reality is that it will put considerable pressure on states to limit their spending on health care, including for children.”

“The future health care of tens of millions of children in the U.S. and hundreds of thousands of children in Illinois today depends on Medicaid. We know from research that protecting children's health with Medicaid is more likely to help them live healthier lives as adults with better jobs and more promising futures.”

“The Senate bill released today does more than just roll back major parts of Obamacare. Just like the House version of health care reform, the Senate bill …undercuts the Medicaid program that has helped save lives and foster healthy futures for hundreds of millions of Americans over the last 50 years.” 

“Just like Medicare, the Medicaid program serves the most vulnerable Americans. A big distinction is that the Medicaid program helps protect health at a fraction of the cost of Medicare, per person. A large reason for that is that children, who make up a very large proportion of all people covered by Medicaid, are the least expensive age group in terms of their health care spending.” 

Davis is the associate chief research officer for Health Services and Policy Research in the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

He is an expert on health policy, population health and health care research for children and adults in the U.S. His research has largely focused on measuring the effects of programs and policies on the health and health care of populations, with a special emphasis on health care reform involving Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and the State Child Health Insurance Program.

Contact: [email protected] or 734-883-8399

Megan McHugh, an assistant professor in the Center for Healthcare Studies and director of the program in healthcare policy and implementation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine 

“Like the House bill, the Senate bill would give greater power over health care to the states. This is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it would allow states to better tailor health policies to reflect local values. On the other hand, allowing states more flexibility in the design of health reform will greatly add to the complexity of our health care system and potentially lead to disparities in health outcomes.”

“Even though the Congressional Budget Office has not yet released estimates of the bill's impact, we can speculate that it will result in long-term savings to the federal government, and a sizable number of people -- likely tens of millions of people -- losing health insurance coverage.” 

“Since it was unveiled this morning, several Republican senators have already said that they will not support it.  I think we will see a number of changes to the bill over the next several days as Republican leaders try to reach 50 votes.“ 

McHugh has written extensively on federal policy making and health care reform and has testified before Congress. 

Contact: [email protected] or 703-867-3629. McHugh is based in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Jane Holl, director of Center for Healthcare Studies and a professor of pediatrics and of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

“Millions of low-income people, many now receiving Medicaid and some using the exchanges, will not be able to afford health insurance,” Holl said. “States are really going to be on the hook with the substantial cuts in out years.”

Holl studies health care coverage and delivery of health care in the U.S.

Contact: [email protected] or 773-398-2737

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