The U.S. Senate could increase the number of Americans with health insurance by tens of millions – at no cost to taxpayers – by rejecting cap-and-trade legislation passed by the U.S. House, according to The National Center for Public Policy Research.
In June, the House of Representatives approved the American Clean Energy and Security Act, commonly referred to as the Waxman-Markey bill, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 percent by 2050.
An analysis contends that the Waxman-Markey bill would increase energy prices, slow the economy and result in higher unemployment, increasing the number of uninsured.
"For every one percentage point increase in unemployment, 1.1 million Americans lose their health insurance coverage," said David A. Ridenour, vice president of The National Center for Public Policy Research. "With the Waxman-Markey legislation projected to cost an average of 1.15 million jobs annually between 2012 and 2030, this could translate into tens of millions of Americans losing their health insurance coverage.”
Loss of health insurance coverage is only one of the negative health consequences that would result from a Waxman-Markey-style bill, according to Ridenour.
"The unemployed are more likely to be diagnosed for hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and stroke, and because discretionary income drops with the loss of a job, so, too, do routine screenings that might prevent late-stage diseases," he said.