Cramer’s Me-First, North Dakotans-Last Health Care Plan Would Have Raised the Cost of Coverage

(BISMARCK, ND) – When it comes to priorities, North Dakotans can always count on Cramer to count himself first – regardless of how North Dakota families might suffer. Through his efforts to gain support for and pass the AHCA, Cramer pushed a plan that would have caused insurance premiums to skyrocket, making affordable health coverage an impossibility for many families.

According to the Congressional Budget Office report on the bill, the AHCA would have likely led to significant costs by bringing back lifetime or annual spending caps. By eliminating certain Essential Health Benefits (EHBs), insurers could charge exorbitant amounts for services like maternity care, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and for necessary prescription drugs.

Kevin Cramer voted for it, anyway.

Even though the official Congressional Budget Office estimate said that North Dakotans could expect a 20 percent increase in premiums in 2018 alone. Further analysis put the dollar amount at nearly $1,000.

Kevin Cramer called it a “missed opportunity,” anyway.

“The last thing North Dakota families need is higher health care premiums, but for Kevin Cramer, costing them an extra $1,000 was well-worth racking up political points in his push for the AHCA,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “That’s because, for Cramer, his own political and career interests always come first. We need serious solutions that will lower premiums and protect quality care for those who need it most. But for Cramer, working hard for anyone but himself just isn’t in the cards – and he’ll continue to force North Dakotans to sacrifice their care and their wallet for the sake of his own political ambitions.”