Reaction to discussion draft of Senate health care legislation

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — After the discussion draft of the Senate health care legislation was released, people in Chattanooga had strong opinions about it.

Multiple times a day, Dr. Danielle Mitchell sees patients for preventative healthcare visits.
She says this is thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

“Those physicals, whether it is a general primary care physical, whether it is a well woman exam, those are mandated by the ACA to be covered because prevention is really preventing the financial and national economic crisis that happens down the road,” Dr. Mitchell said.

She says the draft of the senate health care legislation has her worried.

“Quite simply, I think people are going to die. I think when we look at cutting medicaid expansion, a lot of people tend to think of medicaid as something that is funding people who don’t have resources and our poor people and our sucking off the government. This is really not that at all,” Dr. Mitchel said.

Senator Lamar Alexander says new healthcare legislation will benefit Tennesseans.

“The discussion draft of the senate health care bill makes no change in the law protecting pre existing conditions. No change in Medicare benefits and it increases Medicaid funding, that is Ten Care at the rate of inflation,” Sen. Alexander said.

Senator Alexander will now review the draft.

“I am going to stay focused next week as the bill goes to the senate floor where it will be subjected to virtually unlimited amendments,” Sen. Alexander said.

Dr. Mitchell hopes people realize a single payer system will benefit everyone. She says the plan right now, won’t work.

“You are going to be paying more for less and it is going to let states opt out of essential health benefits that have really been the foundation of some of the most successful healthcare programs around the world,” Dr. Mitchell said.