Republicans Healthcare Plan Could Devastate US State Budgets - New York Governor

The plan by congressional Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, could have significant effects on budgets of the most populous US states, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in an interview on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Cuomo noted that 3 million people are covered under the Obamacare in New York State and the state government also continues to allocate funds for Medicaid and Medicare programs.

"Obviously, the consequences for a state like New York could be devastating, depending on what they [Republicans] do," Cuomo, a Democrat, told MSNBC.

Medicare is a national healthcare program covering the elderly, while Medicaid is a national healthcare program designed to assist the poor. The two programs cover 123 million people in the United States.

Cuomo also claimed that while the repeal of Obamacare is politically appealing, the Republicans do not offer clear guidelines for states in order make appropriate budget changes.

Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump have said Obamacare is unsustainable in the long run and they must act because the system will collapse under its own weight. Moreover, they have described Obamacare as a disaster because it has imposed heavy financial burdens on individuals and businesses while concurrently reducing the number of healthcare insurers and providers.