Third and State

Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA18) has been one of the most important advocates for mental health and addiction care in this country. He’s been a champion of parity between the treatment of physical and mental health problems. And that’s why it’s so surprising that he might vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. 24 million people nationwide — 1.3 million in Pennsylvania, and 67,000 in his district — will lose health insurance as a result of this legislation and many of them, by some estimates 29%, suffer from mental illness including substance abuse disorders.

Rep. Glenn Thompson's Background, Consequences for Constituents Are Reasons to Vote "No" on GOP Health Care Bill

Given his personal history in human services, and the demographic makeup of the 5^th Congressional district, Congressman Glenn Thompson has long been an advocate for older Pennsylvanians – not just seniors but those in the 55 to 65 age bracket as well.

And that must make the upcoming vote on the Republican replacement of the ACA so difficult. As a loyal Republican, Thompson has reason to support it. But the bill is, in many ways, terrible for older Pennsylvanians, including many of his constituents in the 5^th district. So the concerns of his district and his own history very much point in the other direction.

Health Care Again

News reports indicate that, as many of us had feared, the Republicans in Congress and President Trump have not given up on their effort on health care, not only to repeal and replace the ACA but to institute a per capita cap on Medicaid spending.

The new plan, as we will explain in a moment, is even worse than the last one. But before we get to the details, we need to stop and ask, “why are we here again?” Knowing the answer to that question is critical to understanding what the Republicans propose.