Panetta opposes plan to replace Obamacare

CARMEL -- A Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare does not appeal to Democratic Congressman Jimmy Panetta, who this week said the alternative healthcare bill would cost more and "leave millions of Americans uninsured."

Following the unveiling of the replacement healthcare plan, called the American Health Care Act, by House of Representatives leaders Monday, Panetta said it would make insurance more expensive and "leave hard-working Americans without quality care options."

"The American Health Care Act will shorten the life of the Medicare Trust, reduce Medicaid, and deny coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions if they do not maintain continuous coverage," Panetta said in a statement.

‘Already protecting'

Panetta also defended Obama's Affordable Care Act, which has been widely criticized for skyrocketing premiums and the huge cost of the expansion of free health care programs for the poor. Panetta said the Republican bill "attempts to terminate a health care plan that is already protecting so many Americans."

The 20th Congressional District representative also said a new plan shouldn't be made in "haste," and congressional committees need to "take time to properly vet this legislation."

"Additionally, before this legislation advances, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office must provide a thorough analysis as to who and how many people will be impacted," according to Panetta. "Americans deserve to know how their health care and lives will be affected by this bill."

While the plan, backed by President Donald Trump, has received unanimous criticism from Democrats in both houses, some Republicans have also taken aim at the bill.

The first of two House of Representatives committees considering the legislation approved it before dawn Thursday on a party-line vote, according to a Reuters news article. The plan cleared the second committee Thursday afternoon.