Washington, June 23 (RHC)-- In the United States, after weeks of secret negotiations, Republican senators on Thursday released a health care bill that would reduce key benefits for millions of Americans.
The Better Care Reconciliation Act would fund a large capital gains tax cut for the rich by removing millions of low-income and disabled people from Medicaid. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, $33 billion of the tax cuts would benefit the 400 wealthiest U.S. households.
The Senate bill would also reduce subsidies to individuals to purchase health insurance, and would allow states to eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
The measure would defund Planned Parenthood for a year, making breast cancer screenings and basic reproductive services more difficult for women to secure.
The bill was negotiated behind closed doors between 13 Republican male senators. The legislation would reportedly cut the federal health program by more than $800 billion over a decade.