Ohio Senator Rob Portman Opposes Healthcare Bill...Finally

COLUMBUS, OH — After weeks of silence, Senator Rob Portman finally announced on Tuesday that he will oppose the current incarnation of the Senate's bill to replace Obamacare. In a statement, Portman said the proposed legislation did too much damage to Medicaid and would have a negative impact on drug treatment.

Portman has long been considered one of the swing votes on the legislation, with pundits and voters wondering whether the Republican supported the replacement healthcare bill. Critics of the legislation have been quick to point out that it could do real damage to states' ability to battle the spread of the opioid epidemic.

"The Senate draft before us includes some promising changes to reduce premiums in the individual insurance market, but I continue to have real concerns about the Medicaid policies in this bill, especially those that impact drug treatment at a time when Ohio is facing an opioid epidemic," Portman said in a statement.

Portman did not dismiss the possibility of supporting a revised bill, saying the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare, is "not working for Ohio families."

"I am committed to creating a better health care system that lowers the cost of coverage, provides access to quality care, and protects the most vulnerable in our society," he said.

The senator's rebuke of the legislation comes at the same time as a report from the Congressional Budget Office, saying the Senate's health care plan to replace Obamacare would increase the number of uninsured people by more than 15 million people next year compared with current law, and 22 million more would be without coverage by 2026.

Portman has also seen the seemingly unstoppable surge in opioid-related overdoses in Ohio in 2017. A new report notes that men and women in the Buckeye State are visiting the ER and the hospital for opioids more than residents of almost any other state. It was also recently announced that Cuyahoga County had one of its bloodiest overdose stretches in history since Memorial Day, with 43 people dying over the holiday weekend alone.

"In the days and weeks ahead, I’m committed to continue talking with my colleagues about how we can fix the serious problems in our health care system while protecting Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens," Portman said.

Photo from Rob Portman's Office