Trump does not know how much health care costs in America. In an effort to score political points, he is touting a new plan to give certain people purchasing coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) $500 to make up for the price hikes that he created. This comes after Trump and Republicans ripped away tax credits from working families and chose to prioritize tax breaks for billionaires and corporations, causing health care prices to soar by thousands of dollars for people across the country and millions of people losing coverage altogether. For most Americans, $500 won’t even pay for one month of premiums, let alone a hospital stay or medical emergency.
IN THE NEWS:
AP: Trump Promises $500 Obamacare Rebate Checks for 1M Enrollees in 30 States
- “Brad Woodhouse, a Democratic strategist and executive director of advocacy group Protect Our Care, called the rebate plan ‘an absolute joke’ in a statement. ‘Since Republicans took away tax credits from working families, millions of people have seen their monthly premiums rise by hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars,’ Woodhouse said. ‘At a time when people are scraping by to keep up with the high cost of groceries, rent, and health care, this $500 gimmick won’t even begin to dig them out of the hole that Trump and Republicans created.’”
- “Trump’s announcement comes as the price of ACA insurance has skyrocketed for many Americans during his own second term. The Trump administration opposed extending COVID-era subsidies that had helped offset the costs of health insurance for most enrollees during Biden’s term.”
The Hill: Trump Pledges $500 ObamaCare Rebate Checks
- “Brad Woodhouse, president of the Democratic-aligned patient advocacy group Protect Our Care, said the rebate idea is ‘an absolute joke.’ ‘Five hundred dollars is a drop in the bucket compared to what Americans are paying because Trump and Republicans gutted health care to bankroll massive tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations,’ Woodhouse said in a statement. ‘At a time when people are scraping by to keep up with the high cost of groceries, rent, and health care, this $500 gimmick won’t even begin to dig them out of the hole that Trump and Republicans created.’”
- “Critics said the move was a desperate gimmick that won’t even come close to repairing the damage the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have done to the health system.”
The Washington Post: Trump Claims Rebate Checks are on the Way for People Overcharged by ACA
- “‘What an absolute joke,’ Brad Woodhouse, president of Protect Our Care, a Democrat-aligned health care advocacy group, said in a statement. ‘Five hundred dollars is a drop in the bucket compared to what Americans are paying because Trump and Republicans gutted health care to bankroll massive tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations.’”
MS Now: Trump Vows $500 ACA Rebate Checks for Some Consumers Ahead of the Midterm Elections
- “Indeed, Brad Woodhouse, the executive director of advocacy group Protect Our Care, called the rebate plan ‘an absolute joke’ in a statement. ‘Five hundred dollars is a drop in the bucket compared to what Americans are paying because Trump and Republicans gutted health care to bankroll massive tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations,’ Woodhouse added. ‘Since Republicans took away tax credits from working families, millions of people have seen their monthly premiums rise by hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.’ ‘As a result, millions of people have been forced to drop coverage altogether, leaving them vulnerable to bankruptcy if they get sick. At a time when people are scraping by to keep up with the high cost of groceries, rent, and health care, this $500 gimmick won’t even begin to dig them out of the hole that Trump and Republicans created.’”
- “He [Trump] neglected to mention the inconvenient fact that it was the Republican White House and the Republican Congress that were solely and directly responsible for that spike in the first place.”
- “This is not, however, a substitute for an actual healthcare policy, and it will do little to help the tens of millions of families who now pay higher healthcare costs as a result of Trump’s agenda.”
New York Daily News: Trump Promises $500 Rebates For Obamacare ‘overcharges’ He Blames On Biden
- “Brad Woodhouse of liberal advocacy group Protect Our Care called the rebate plan ‘an absolute joke’ and a ‘gimmick.’”
- “Republicans and Trump have long received poor grades from American voters over their handling of health care. They once vowed to “repeal and replace” Obamacare but abandoned that platform amid divisions over what the GOP would want to replace the popular program that has dramatically reduced the number of uninsured people.”
Newsweek: Trump Announces $500 Refunds for 1 Million Americans
- “In response to Axios’ report on Wednesday, the left-leaning Protect Our Care called the plan a ‘gimmick’ and ‘insult to working families grappling with the GOP healthcare crisis.’ ‘Five hundred dollars is a drop in the bucket compared to what Americans are paying because Trump and Republicans gutted healthcare to bankroll massive tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations,’ Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse said. ‘Since Republicans took away tax credits from working families, millions of people have seen their monthly premiums rise by hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.’”
- “The group said that $500 would fail to cover the average cost of one month of health insurance—around $611, per an Urban Institute estimate—and fall significantly short of the price of a three-day stay in hospital, one month of diabetes medication or one month of cancer treatment.”
Axios: Exclusive: Trump Plans to Send $500 Obamacare Rebates Before Election
- “The big picture: Trump tried and failed in his first term to repeal Obamacare. Now he plans to use it to help further his own plans — and try to boost Republicans’ chances in a difficult midterm election shadowed by voters’ anger over high prices and the war in Iran.”