美国国家公共电台 NPR 美国共和党医保方案至2026年或将使2400万人失去保险（在线收听）

We're starting with a U.S. government report concerning a Republican plan to reform health care in America. The report came this week from the Congressional Budget Office or CBO. It's an independent agency. It says it's strictly nonpartisan. The CBO's goal is to analyze budget and economic issues to help Congress make decisions.

The Republican plan is called the American Health Care Act. It's a proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The CBO says on the plus side, the Republican plan would decrease the U.S. federal deficit by $337 billion over ten years and it would eventually reduce premiums, what Americans pay for health care by 10 percent in the year 2026 compared to what they are now.

On the minus side, those premiums would be expected to go up before they come down and the CBO says by next year, 14 million more Americans would be uninsured than there are now, and that that number would increase to 24 million by the year 2026.

Republican supporters of the plan say that's not because health plans are being taken away, but because Americans wouldn't be required to buy health insurance, like they are under Obamacare. House Speaker Paul Ryan says people will have more choices and better access to an affordable health care plan.

But opponents of the proposal, like Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, say the plan would only help wealthy people and insurance company executives. And Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said it would raise premiums for older, low income Americans and must be defeated.

The Republican plan was introduced last Monday. We'll keep you posted on its path in Congress.