Nevada GOP gov rips ObamaCare repeal bill: Flexibility it promises ‘a false choice’

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) on Thursday amped up his criticism of the new plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare, saying the GOP bill would “pit Nevadans against each other.”

“Flexibility with reduced funding is a false choice,” Sandoval said in a statement to The Nevada Independent. “I will not pit seniors, children, families, the mentally ill, the critically ill, hospitals, care providers, or any other Nevadan against each other because of cuts to Nevada’s healthcare delivery system proposed by the Graham-Cassidy amendment.”

An analysis of the bill conducted by the state says Nevada would lose between $600 million and $2 billion in federal funding by 2026 if the bill passes, according to the Independent.

{mosads}“I have said many times before that I will not support legislation that may result in a cost shift to the State or result in Nevadans losing insurance coverage,” Sandoval said in the statement. “I cannot in good faith support the Graham-Cassidy amendment.”

Sandoval joined a bipartisan group of governors this week in urging the Senate to reject the latest ObamaCare repeal bill and instead focus on efforts from lawmakers from both parties to stabilize the ObamaCare markets.

“Only open, bipartisan approaches can achieve true, lasting reforms,” the governors wrote.

Sandoval remains at odds with Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), who is a co-sponsor of the latest ObamaCare repeal bill introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.).

Heller and Sandoval joined in initial opposition to Senate Republicans’s first effort to pass an ObamaCare repeal this summer, but Heller eventually voted for a scaled-down repeal bill.

The Graham-Cassidy bill, which would dismantle much of ObamaCare and convert its funding to block grants for states, is expected to be put on the Senate floor for a vote next week.