Talking Points: GOP Health Care Plan, Town Hall Meetings

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on the American Health Care Act, the GOP bill that would repeal and replace Obamacare.

But the plan is coming under fire from both Democrats and conservative Republicans.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that under the GOP plan 14 million Americans would lose their health insurance in a year -- and by 2026, 24 million would lose their coverage.

In Minnesota, the Department of Human Services estimates that under the GOP plan 1.2 million Minnesotans would soon lose or have their health care coverage reduced.

Both Democrats and conservative Republicans are critical of the GOP plan. They say it's would lead to higher premiums for older Americans and a 30-percent tax penalty for anyone who lets their insurance lapse.

Minnesota Republican Reps. Jason Lewis, Tom Emmer and Erik Paulsen have all indicated their support for the GOP bill. But they have also faced criticism.

Last month, hundreds of people gathered outside Paulsen's Eden Prairie office to voice their opposition and to protest what they claim is the congressman's unwillingness to hold town hall, face-to-face meetings since the election.

Paulsen says he has held a number of telephone town halls and insists he has been accessible.

"I have always done the telephone town halls. They are very popular," Paulsen said on WCCO Sunday Morning. "People don't have to leave work to take part in those. Last year, we had a dozen town halls, including those that were mini-town halls...and I usually don't do any in February, because that is when we are just going into session, so we will be doing those soon."

More than two dozen protesters were outside WCCO TV Sunday morning. They confronted Paulsen as he left the downtown Minneapolis studios, saying that the congressman did not speak to them.

If @RepErikPaulsen will meet with ANYONE, why didn't he talk to his constituents at @WCCO? @SuMinnCD3 @citypages https://t.co/pLwNOe1oT3

— Clara Severson (@AasClara) March 19, 2017

Paulsen and other supporters of the American Health Care Act say it will cut more than $300 billion off the federal budget deficit in 10 years and it would keep key provisions of Obamacare in place - including allowing young adults to stay on their parents health insurance until age 26 and barring insurance companies from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.