Fox News host laughs at Democrats saying thousands will die under Trump healthcare bill: 'We're all gonna die'

Lisa Kennedy Montgomery argues there's no way to predict how many people will die without being 'absolutely psychic'

A Fox News host has cast aside arguments about the effects of a Republican healthcare plan because, simply, “we’re all gonna die anyway”.

A panel of Fox News commentators addressed the GOP’s efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare recently, reviewing comments by several prominent Democrats who claim the bill will cause thousands of people to die.

Laughing at the clips, host Lisa Kennedy Montgomery proclaimed, “You know what the crazy thing is? “We’re all gonna die.”

She added: “They can’t predict – there, there’s no way, unless they’re absolutely psychic and have a party line to heaven – they don’t know who is going to die, or when, or how many people!”

While it may be impossible to predict exactly how many people will die as a result of the legislation, several groups have submitted estimates.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently issued their projections about the number of people who will lose health coverage under the bill. The CBO predicts the bill would cause 22 million Americans to lose insurance by 2026, thanks to Medicaid cuts, increasing premiums for older Americans, and the rollback of the individual mandate. The House version of the bill would cause 1 million more people to lose coverage.

Meanwhile, a number of studies have shown that an increase in health coverage – like that seen under Obamacare – corresponds to a decrease in mortality rates.

One analysis found a six per cent decrease in mortality following state Medicaid expansions. Another showed that, after Obamacare allowed young people to stay on their parent’s health insurance for longer, mortality rates decreased among 19-to-25-year-olds. A study of the Massachusetts health care reform found that expanding insurance coverage in that state was correlated with a 2.9 per cent decrease in mortality rates overall.

Using the data from the Massachusetts study, the Centre for American Prosperity estimated how many more people would die under the House version of Trumpcare. They found that the bill would result in 217,000 additional deaths in the next decade. More than 27,000 more people would die in 2026 alone – almost twice the number of people who die from homicide in the US in any given year.

Numerous health care provider groups – from the American Medical Association to the American Hospital Association – have also come out against the bill, claiming it will cause reductions in coverage, and yes, even death.

The Physicians for Reproductive Health put it plainly in a statement: “By eliminating lifesaving health insurance coverage for millions of people, the Senate’s cruel bill will cause preventable suffering and death … We urge the Senate to listen to medical professionals, listen to the patients across the country, and stop this bill.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently decided to delay the Senate healthcare vote until after the 4 July recess. At least five Senate Republicans currently oppose the bill as written. The legislation needs at least 50 votes in favour in order to pass.