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April 2022

ADVISORY: Protect Our Care Hosts Lite-Brite Display Celebrating the Affordable Care Act

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 5 AT 9:00 PM ET***  

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES
CONTACT: Melissa Byrne, 609-364-4267

ADVISORY: Protect Our Care Hosts Lite-Brite Display Celebrating the Affordable Care Act

“ACA is a BFD” Will Appear Outside the White House After President Biden Announced Actions to Strengthen the Law

Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care will host a Lite-Brite display after the White House event celebrating the success of the Affordable Care Act and ongoing efforts to strengthen the health care law and cut costs for families. This afternoon, former President Obama joined President Biden and Vice President Harris to announce new measures to strengthen the ACA, including a proposed fix to the “family glitch,” which will lower health care costs for more than one million Americans. President Biden is also directing his administration to improve access to health care providers, protect people from low-quality coverage and continue lowering health care costs. 

Since taking office, President Biden has taken bold steps to lower health care costs, improve care, and increase coverage. As a result, more than 30 million Americans have affordable health care through the Marketplace and Medicaid expansion. Democrats are continuing their work to strengthen the ACA by fighting to lower drug prices, reduce premiums, and expand coverage to even more families. More information on President Biden’s health care achievements can be found here

LITE-BRITE DISPLAY

WHAT: Lite-Brite Display in Front of White House

WHEN: Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at 9:00 PM ET

WHERE: Ellipse side of White House

ACA Celebrations Continue With White House Event on Lower Health Care Costs

President Biden Announced Measures to Strengthen the ACA and Lower Costs for Millions of Americans 

Washington, DC — Today, former President Obama joined President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House to celebrate the success of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and ongoing efforts to strengthen the health care law and cut costs for families. During the event, President Biden announced new measures to strengthen the ACA, including a proposed fix to the “family glitch,” which will lower health care costs for more than one million Americans. The President is also directing his administration to improve access to health care providers, protect people from low-quality coverage and continue lowering health care costs. 

The event comes on the heels of the ACA’s 12-year anniversary and as enrollment is at a record high and premium costs are lower than ever before. Since taking office, President Biden has taken bold steps to lower health care costs, improve care, and increase coverage. As a result, more than 30 million Americans have affordable health care through the Marketplace and Medicaid expansion. Democrats are continuing their work to strengthen the ACA by fighting to lower drug prices, reduce premiums, and expand coverage to even more families. 

“The Affordable Care Act is the gift that keeps on giving,” said Leslie Dach, Chair of Protect Our Care. “Despite years of attacks by Republican lawmakers, the law is stronger than ever and a record number of Americans have enrolled in affordable coverage. Democrats have proven time and again that the ACA lowers health costs and improves care. President Biden has reduced insurance premiums, expanded coverage, tackled racial equity and is now closing ‘the family glitch’ — all by building on the Affordable Care Act.” 

“There has never been a more urgent time to lower health care costs, and President Biden is delivering again,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Americans are sick and tired of choosing between paying the bills and getting the health care they need. The Biden administration understands the needs of working families, and today’s announcement made clear that Democrats are committed to building on the strong foundation of the ACA to lower costs and give families the health care they deserve. What have Republicans proposed to lower health care costs and fight inflation? Not a damn thing.” 

BACKGROUND:

President Biden Is Working To Close The Family Glitch. Millions of Americans qualify for affordable employer health coverage and are therefore not eligible for ACA premium savings on the Marketplace. This arrangement works well for millions, however, as workers add dependents onto their health coverage, premiums rise, pushing the total cost of health coverage far beyond the percentage of income stipulated by the ACA. Despite this increase, workers are still not eligible to receive premium subsidies through a Marketplace plan. This is the family glitch and it is estimated to impact more than five million Americans. A Health Affairs study estimated Americans in the family glitch pay an average of 15.8 percent of their income towards health premiums, nearly double what is permitted under the ACA. Of the estimated 5.1 million Americans in the family glitch, the vast majority are relatively low-income and 2.8 million are children who are not eligible for CHIP. This puts families in the terrible situation of having to choose between health insurance for their children and other necessities. President Biden has proposed a rule that would eliminate the family glitch and allow families to purchase affordable coverage on the Marketplace with premium tax credits. Under this rule, 200,000 uninsured Americans would gain coverage and many families would save hundreds of dollars each much on health premiums.

Read the full fact sheet here: President Biden Has Delivered On Health Care

Republicans Continue Their War on Health Care With Vote Against Lower Insulin Costs

193 House Republicans Voted Against the Affordable Insulin Now Act 

Washington DC — Last night, the House of Representatives passed the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which caps out-of-pocket insulin costs for millions of diabetics with private insurance and Medicare coverage. Every single Democrat voted for the legislation, while the vast majority of Republicans voted against lower health care costs. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“Republicans’ war on lowering health care costs continues. No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and affording the insulin they need to survive. By voting against lower insulin costs, the GOP is marching in lockstep with Big Pharma and all of the special interests that want to keep profits high without any regard for the needs of the American people. While President Biden and Democrats are fighting tirelessly to lower health care costs, Republicans are following their same old playbook: calling for health care repeal, raising costs, and opposing any real solutions to put more money in the pockets of working families.” 

REPUBLICAN LEADERS ARE PUSHING TO RAISE HEALTH CARE COSTS AND GUT THE ACA

NRSC Chairman Sen. Rick Scott has rolled out a disastrous agenda for a Republican Senate majority that includes “sunsetting” every federal law after five years – this would include the Affordable Care Act and its protections for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions as well as the crucial lifelines of Social Security and Medicare. 

Every Republican on the Senate Finance committee signed a letter opposing the extending of ACA tax credits included in the American Rescue Plan set to expire at the end of 2022. Premium savings under the American Rescue Plan benefit millions of Americans who buy health insurance on their own and save families an average of $2,400 a year.  Days later, the Republicans on the House Education and Labor Committee claiming that the ACA is a “failure” and suggesting that it should be repealed.  

On March 31, nearly every Republican in the House voted for higher insulin costs by opposing the Affordable Insulin Now Act, legislation that caps out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 a month for millions of diabetics with private insurance and Medicare coverage.  

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE RUNNING ON REPEAL 

Arizona: Major candidates for Senate are cheerleaders for repeal. State Attorney General and Senate candidate Mark Brnovich was one of the lead attorneys general seeking to overturn the entire ACA in 2018. Blake Masters called the ACA a “disaster” and Jim Lamon is actively campaigning against the law, proposing to “redesign or eliminate” Obamacare as part of his platform. 

Colorado: Three out of four Republican candidates running for the new Eighth District in Colorado have pledged to repeal the ACA. Tyler Alcorn, a former Green Beret; Lori Saine, a Weld County commissioner; and state Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann all said they would repeal Obamacare if Republicans took control of the House. 

Florida: Sen. Marco Rubio has repeatedly voted for ACA repeal plans. And he refused to condemn Florida’s involvement in the GOP lawsuit to fully dismantle the law and its coverage protection for Americans with pre-existing conditions.

Missouri: Senate Candidate and Attorney General Eric Schmitt was another leader seeking to overturn the entire ACA in the courts in 2018. Reps. Billy Long and Vicky Hartzler, who are also running for Senate, are longtime opponents of the ACA and voted for the 2017 AHCA GOP repeal plan that would have slashed coverage protections and driven up costs. And Eric Greitens has backed GOP ACA repeal plans for years.  In the state house, Republicans continue to drag their feet and erect barriers to Medicaid expansion in Missouri, years after voters cleared it in a referendum. 

Nevada: Senate Candidate Adam Laxalt has campaigned against the Affordable Care Act for years, calling it the “most flawed piece of major legislation America has ever endured.” Laxalt, who owns tens of thousands of dollars in Big Pharma stock, has also opposed efforts to give Medicare the authority to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.

North Carolina: Two Republican Senate candidates in North Carolina – Ted Budd and Mark Walker – supported the 2017 GOP AHCA repeal plan, voting to gut pre-existing condition coverage protections and let insurance companies charge older Americans more for coverage. And former Governor Pat McCrory, now running for Senate himself, spent his term in office working feverishly to block Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. 

Ohio: Every GOP Senate candidate in Ohio has spent years cheerleading for repeal of the ACA. In 2012, Josh Mandel said he was “hopeful” that he would be the deciding vote to repeal the ACA. Jane Tiken first got involved in politics because of her zeal to repeal Obamacare. In 2017, Mike Gibbons called the law “a disaster” and said “after we repeal ObamaCare, we need to start from scratch.” And on his campaign website in 2022, Matt Dolan continues to claim that the ACA was “conceived wrongly, implemented poorly and has become a tool of partisan grift.” 

Pennsylvania: Dr. Mehmet Oz spent years supporting the ACA and promoting enrollment, but now that he’s running for Senate as a Republican, he calls the ACA “wrong” and says he “would not have voted for Obamacare.” 

Wisconsin: Sen. Ron Johnson said in March 2022 that Republicans should repeal the ACA if they retake the Senate following on his comments from 2021 when he said he regrets that Republicans have failed to eliminate the law. Meanwhile Republicans in the state house continue to block Medicaid expansion in Wisconsin.