Cassidy then appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he again promoted his view of a health care system that met the “Kimmel Test”.
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Trump says on Twitter that the so-called Graham-Cassidy bill is “GREAT!” and “Ends Ocare!” a reference to “Obamacare”, the colloquial name for the set of health laws in place in the United States.
That senator and co-sponsor of the latest bill, Republican Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, took the brunt of Kimmel’s onslaught. Linsdsey Graham (R-S.C.), which is now being considered in the Senate, would repeal the individual mandate for Americans to buy health insurance, and allow states to not require insurers to cover “essential benefits” and other consumer protections now under the Affordable Care Act.
Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John McCain of Arizona said they need to see how the bill will directly impact their states before making a decision. “It seemed like he was being honest”, Kimmel said.
“These insurance companies, they want caps, to limit how much they can pay out”, Kimmel said.
Kimmel had discussed health care with Cassidy after the late-night host revealed in early May that his newborn son had open-heart surgery to fix birth defects.
“Stop using my name”, Kimmel said, “’cause I don’t want my name on it. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, accomplishes none of those priorities. “Coverage for all? No”. “Improvements to our health insurance markets should control costs, stabilize the market, and positively impact coverage and care of millions of Americans, including many who are dealing with mental illness, chronic health problems, and drug addiction”. They can, and they will.
It would do away with government subsidies that lower health care premiums.
Kimmel continued his monologue by saying that the proposed bill would only allow people who had the financial means – like Kimmel – to afford necessary health care. But, he said, “I am politicizing my son’s health problems because I have to”.
Ending his monologue, the host informed Cassidy of a new Jimmy Kimmel test. It’s called a lie detector test. “If you’re able bodied and you don’t have children, you have to work in order to get the free health care”.
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Asked to respond to his comments Wednesday, Cassidy told CNN’s “New Day”: “I am sorry he does not understand”.
