Noem Votes to Take Healthcare Away from Thousands of South Dakotans and Raise Premiums on Older South Dakotans

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The South Dakota Democratic Party released the following statement responding to Rep. Kristi Noem voting today to take away healthcare from 24 million Americans, including tens of thousands of South Dakotans, and raise premiums on older South Dakotans:

“With her vote for the latest Republican healthcare plan, Kristi Noem voted for a disastrous and cruel healthcare plan that would have devastating impacts on tens of millions of Americans, including tens of thousands of South Dakotans.  In order to ram this plan through the House before a CBO score could show just how much harm it would do to working families’ healthcare, Noem and her fellow Washington Republicans took a bad bill and made it worse, appeasing the most right-wing members of their caucus by editing the bill to allow states to opt out of protecting Americans who have pre-existing conditions like diabetes, asthma, and others.

The latest version of Rep. Noem’s plan also increases the “age tax” found in the original bill, which places a greater financial burden on millions of Americans ages 50 – 64; the latest version allows states to give permission to insurers to charge them even more than 5 times more than younger Americans permitted in the original bill. The only people Kristi Noem’s plan is good for is the wealthy and drug and insurance companies who will get the bulk of the nearly $600 billion in new tax breaks under it. That’s why the bill is opposed by multiple health groups, the AARP, and 70 percent of Americans.

Unfortunately, Kristi Noem’s vote was one of the decisive votes in helping this inadequate bill pass the House. We call on Senators Rounds and Thune to oppose this bill in the Senate. South Dakota voters need to ask themselves if they think someone who is willing to take the healthcare away from millions of their neighbors and endanger the coverage of our most vulnerable citizens, especially older and disabled Americans, is someone who deserves their vote for governor.”

 

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