Washington, D.C. – According to Politico, in response to senior White House aid Kellyanne Conway’s insistence that a health care overhaul is forthcoming, CMS Administrator Seema Verma balked at Conway’s September timeline, saying “I think to some degree you’re seeing the plan in action, right? Every day we are implementing the president’s agenda on health care…” Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care and former HHS official, issued the following statement in response:
“We are seeing President Trump’s plan in action: skyrocketing drug prices, gutting protections for pre-existing conditions, proposing billions in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and all the while giving tax breaks to the drug and insurance industries. We already know President Trump’s real health care agenda is the Texas lawsuit which would throw our health care system in chaos by ending protections for pre-existing conditions, stripping coverage from 20 million Americans, and raising costs across the board.”
Tonight, President Trump is holding a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, but Granite Staters will likely hear more lies instead of the truth about his health care agenda. Right now, President Trump and his Republican allies are trying to rip away our health care by going to court to eliminate the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. In 2018, a group of Republican attorneys general filed suit seeking to overturn the entire health care law. They were joined in this effort by the Trump administration, which is refusing to defend the law in court. The case is currently before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and the health care of tens of thousands of Granite Staters hangs in the balance.
Next Tuesday, Protect Our Care will host New Hampshire leaders and health care advocates as part of a nationwide bus tour to call for an end to the GOP’s continued war on Granite Staters’ health care and discuss Trump’s true agenda: to strip health care from millions of Americans. Speakers will highlight the dire emergency created by the Trump-Republican lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act, contrasting it to Congresswoman Annie Kuster’s legislation to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions and Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s resolution that directs the Trump administration to reverse course and defend Americans’ access to vital care and comprehensive coverage.
The Republican Health Care Emergency Hurts New Hampshire Families
If the Trump lawsuit is successful, it will strip coverage from millions of Americans, raise premiums, end protections for people with pre-existing conditions, put insurance companies back in charge, and force seniors to pay more for prescription drugs. This Republican health care emergency is threatening to unleash “chaos” in our entire health care system. Here’s what’s at stake in New Hampshire:
If Republicans Get Their Way, 89,000 Granite Staters Would Lose Their Coverage
89,000 Granite Staters could lose coverage. According to the Urban Institute, 89,000 Granite Staters would lose coverage by repealing the Affordable Care Act, leading to a 136 percent increase in the uninsured rate.
43,000 Granite Staters in the 1st District could lose coverage. The Center for American Progress estimates that 43,000 Granite Staters in the 1st Congressional District would have their coverage ripped away if the Republican lawsuit succeeds at striking down the entire ACA.
9,000 New Hampshire young adults with their parents’ coverage could lose care. Because of the Affordable Care Act, millions of young adults are able to stay on their parents’ care until age 26.
If Republicans Get Their Way, Insurance Companies Would Be Put Back In Charge, Ending Protections For More Than 550,000 Granite Staters With A Pre-Existing Condition
Before the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies routinely denied people coverage because of a pre-existing condition or canceled coverage when a person got sick. If the Trump-GOP lawsuit is successful, insurance companies will be able to do this again.
572,200 Granite Staters have a pre-existing condition, including 62,700 New Hampshire children, 269,000 New Hampshire women, and 155,500 Granite Staters between ages 55 and 64.
If Republicans Get Their Way, Insurance Companies Would Have The Power To Charge You More, While Their Profits Soar
690,524 Granite Staters Could Once Again Have To Pay For Preventive Care. Because of the ACA, health plans must cover preventive services — like flu shots, cancer screenings, contraception, and mammograms – at no cost to consumers. Thisincludes nearly690,524 Granite Staters, most of whom have employer coverage.
Insurance Companies Could Charge Premium Surcharges in the Six Figures. If the Trump-GOP lawsuit is successful, insurance companies would be able to charge people more because of a pre-existing condition. The health repeal bill the House passed in 2017 had a similar provision, and an analysis by the Center for American Progress found that insurers could charge up to $4,270 more for asthma, $17,060 more for pregnancy, $26,180 more for rheumatoid arthritis and $140,510 more for metastatic cancer.
Women Could Be Charged More Than Men for the Same Coverage. Prior to the ACA, women were often charged premiums on the nongroup market of up to 50 percent higher than they charged men for the same coverage.
People Over the Age of 50 Could Face a $4,000 “Age Tax,” Including $2,750 in New Hampshire. Because Judge O’Connor sided with Republican lawmakers, insurance companies would be able to charge people over 50 more than younger people. The Affordable Care Act limited the amount older people could be charged to three times more than younger people. If insurers were to charge five times more, as was proposed in the Republican repeal bills, that would add an average “age tax” of $4,124 for a 60-year-old in the individual market, including $2,750 in New Hampshire, according to the AARP.
31,179 Granite Staters in the Marketplaces Would Pay More for Coverage. If the Trump-GOP lawsuit is successful, consumers would no longer have access to tax credits that help them pay their marketplace premiums, meaning roughly nine million people who receive these tax credits to pay for coverage will have to pay more, including 31,179 in New Hampshire.
21,150 New Hampshire Seniors Could Have to Pay More for Prescription Drugs.If the Trump-GOP lawsuit is successful, seniors could have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare “donut” hole would be reopened. From 2010 to 2016, “More than 11.8 million Medicare beneficiaries have received discounts over $26.8 billion on prescription drugs – an average of $2,272 per beneficiary,” according to a January 2017 CMS report. In New Hampshire, 21,150 seniors each saved an average of $1,139.
If Republicans Get Their Way, Medicaid Expansion Would Be Repealed
57,000 Granite Staters Enrolled Through Medicaid Expansion Could Lose Coverage. Seventeen million people have coverage through the expanded Medicaid program, including 57,000 in New Hampshire.
Access To Treatment Would Be In Jeopardy For 800,000 People With Opioid Use Disorder. Roughly four in ten, or 800,000 people with opioid use disorder are enrolled in Medicaid. Many became eligible through Medicaid expansion.
Key Support For Rural Hospitals Would Disappear, leaving New Hampshire hospitals with $234 million more in uncompensated care.
U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum; Attorney General Keith Ellison; SEIU; Planned Parenthood; TakeAction MN Join Protect Our Care on Nationwide Bus Tour to Highlight What’s At Stake for Minnesotans In Trump-GOP Lawsuit to Overturn Health Care
St. Paul, MN — This morning, Protect Our Care’s nationwide Health Care Emergency Bus Tour arrived in St. Paul to call attention to Republicans’ ongoing war on health care and the threat posed by Texas v. United States, the Trump-GOP lawsuit to overturn the health care law. Headlined by U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-04) and Attorney General Keith Ellison, the event highlighted how Trump’s lawsuit would harm Minnesotans’ care, called on Republicans to denounce the lawsuit, and discussed Democrats’ agenda to improve health care and lower costs for Americans.
Ellison and McCollum were joined by Minnesota’s leading health care advocates including Sarah Stoesz, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, and health care activists from SEIU and TakeAction MN.
“The ACA isn’t perfect, but I voted for it in Congress – and voted against repealing it more times than I can count – because it was an important step to making sure we can all have access to care that helps us afford our lives and live with dignity and respect,” saidMinnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. “I’m not in Congress any more, but I’m still defending the ACA, this time in court as Attorney General. After all these years, it’s still hard to understand what Republicans have against affordable health care for the greatest number. But it’s not hard to understand why Americans need it and want it and are fighting to keep Republicans for taking it away from them. I’ll keep fighting for them and with them.”
“While Democrats are determined to make universal health care a right for all Americans, anyone with a pre-existing condition knows their health care is hanging on by a thread,” said U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum. “Millions of Americans are at risk unless we all stand united in stopping the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress from achieving their goal of destroying the ACA and patient protections. Protecting our care is a necessity and it is a fight we must win.”
“Reproductive health care is the foundation of freedom and autonomy for women,” saidSarah Stoesz, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States. “Without the ability to decide when and whether to have children, women can’t control any other aspect of our lives—like getting an education, starting a business, or running for office. We know this—and so does the Trump administration. For reasons that we simply don’t understand, it’s this very freedom and autonomy that the president and his allies seem to resent and fear the most. And so they want to take us back to a medieval era in which women don’t have reproductive health care, or control over their bodies or their futures.”
“My son Scott receives personal care from a team of PCAs that keeps him alive at a fraction of the cost placing him in an institution would cost taxpayers,” said SEIU health care activist Delores Flynn. “Beyond the costs, Scott is a human being who wants to be at home with his family and his dogs. The fact that Republicans are talking about rolling back healthcare protections for people like Scott makes me sick. Why is this even a conversation? My son is a living and breathing pre-existing condition. If the current administration is successful in revoking this aspect of the ACA my son would die. No alternatives, he would die. I remember when the republicans were saying during the debates on this bill many years ago that there would be death panels. Well, if they repeal this law, they will be creating their own death panels and I’m horrified to think what that would mean for so many of us.”
“Cutting lifesaving programs like Medicaid and repealing the ACA will hurt people like me,” said Rachel Zemmer, TakeAction Minnesota member. “Legislators are financing tax breaks for billionaires and it’s costing us—the people—our health care. It’s wrong. I’m going to keep fighting for a people-centered health care system that leaves nobody out.”
Later today, “Care Force One” will head to Iowa, where Protect Our Care will be joined by health care advocates from across the state. For more information, please visit protectourcare.org/bus-tour/.
The Protect Our Care “Health Care Emergency Bus Tour” is making stops in:
Las Vegas, NV on Monday, August 5, 2019
Phoenix, AZ on Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Tucson, AZ on Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Santa Fe, NM on Thursday, August 8, 2019
Pueblo, CO on Thursday, August 8, 2019
Denver, CO on Friday, August 9, 2019
St. Paul, MN on Monday, August 12, 2019
Des Moines, IA on Monday, August 12, 2019
Cedar Rapids, IA on Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Lansing, MI on Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Livonia, MI on Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Harrisburg, PA on Thursday, August 15, 2019
Bethlehem, PA on Friday, August 16, 2019
Bangor, ME on Monday, August 19, 2019
Portland, ME on Monday, August 19, 2019
Concord, NH on Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Richmond, VA on Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Raleigh, NC on Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Charlotte, NC on Thursday, August 22, 2019
Asheville, NC on Thursday, August 22, 2019
Atlanta, GA on Friday, August 23, 2019
The Republican Health Care Emergency Hurts Minnesota Families
President Trump and his Republican allies are trying to rip away our health care by going to court to eliminate the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. In 2018, a group of Republican Attorneys General filed suit seeking to overturn the entire Affordable Care Act. They were joined in this effort by the Trump administration, which is refusing to defend the law in court. The case is currently before the 5th Circuit of Appeals and the health care of millions of Minnesotans hangs in the balance.
If the Trump lawsuit is successful, it will strip coverage from millions of Americans, raise premiums, end protections for people with pre-existing conditions, put insurance companies back in charge, and force seniors to pay more for prescription drugs. This Republican health care emergency is threatening to unleash “chaos” in our entire health care system. Here’s what’s at stake in Minnsota:
If Republicans Get Their Way, 265,000 Minnesotans Would Lose Their Coverage
265,000 Minnesotans could lose coverage. According to the Urban Institute, 265,000 Minnesotans would lose coverage by repealing the Affordable Care Act, leading to a 80 percent increase in the uninsured rate.
38,000 Minnesota young adults with their parents’ coverage could lose care. Because of the Affordable Care Act, millions of young adults are able to stay on their parents’ care until age 26.
If Republicans Get Their Way, Insurance Companies Would Be Put Back In Charge, Ending Protections For Over Two Million Minnesotans With A Pre-Existing Condition
Before the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies routinely denied people coverage because of a pre-existing condition or canceled coverage when a person got sick. If the Trump-GOP lawsuit is successful, insurance companies will be able to do this again.
2,331,000 Minnesotans have a pre-existing condition, including 307,100 Minnesota children, 1,154,000 Minnesota women, and 568,600 Minnesotans between ages 55 and 64.
If Republicans Get Their Way, Insurance Companies Would Have The Power To Charge You More, While Their Profits Soar
2,761,583 Minnesotans Could Once Again Have To Pay For Preventive Care. Because of the ACA, health plans must cover preventive services — like flu shots, cancer screenings, contraception, and mammograms – at no cost to consumers. Thisincludes nearly2,761,583 Minnesotans, most of whom have employer coverage.
Insurance Companies Could Charge Premium Surcharges in the Six Figures. If the Trump-GOP lawsuit is successful, insurance companies would be able to charge people more because of a pre-existing condition. The health repeal bill the House passed in 2017 had a similar provision, and an analysis by the Center for American Progress found that insurers could charge up to $4,270 more for asthma, $17,060 more for pregnancy, $26,180 more for rheumatoid arthritis and $140,510 more for metastatic cancer.
Women Could Be Charged More Than Men for the Same Coverage. Prior to the ACA, women were often charged premiums on the nongroup market of up to 50 percent higher than they charged men for the same coverage.
People Over the Age of 50 Could Face a $4,000 “Age Tax,” Including $4,805 in Minnesota. Because Judge O’Connor sided with Republican lawmakers, insurance companies would be able to charge people over 50 more than younger people. The Affordable Care Act limited the amount older people could be charged to three times more than younger people. If insurers were to charge five times more, as was proposed in the Republican repeal bills, that would add an average “age tax” of $4,124 for a 60-year-old in the individual market, including $4,805 in Minnesota, according to the AARP.
65,153 Minnesotans in the Marketplaces Would Pay More for Coverage. If the Trump-GOP lawsuit is successful, consumers would no longer have access to tax credits that help them pay their marketplace premiums, meaning roughly nine million people who receive these tax credits to pay for coverage will have to pay more, including 65,153 in Minnesota.
66,930 Minnesota Seniors Could Have to Pay More for Prescription Drugs.If the Trump-GOP lawsuit is successful, seniors could have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare “donut” hole would be reopened. From 2010 to 2016, “More than 11.8 million Medicare beneficiaries have received discounts over $26.8 billion on prescription drugs – an average of $2,272 per beneficiary,” according to a January 2017 CMS report. In Minnesota, 66,930 seniors each saved an average of $1,077.
If Republicans Get Their Way, Medicaid Expansion Would Be Repealed
206,700 Minnesotans Enrolled Through Medicaid Expansion Could Lose Coverage. Seventeen million people have coverage through the expanded Medicaid program, including 206,700 in Minnesota.
Access To Treatment Would Be In Jeopardy For 800,000 People With Opioid Use Disorder. Roughly four in ten, or 800,000 people with an opioid use disorder are enrolled in Medicaid. Many became eligible through Medicaid expansion.
Key Support For Rural Hospitals Would Disappear, leaving Minnesota hospitals with $1.1 billion more in uncompensated care.
Minnesota’s Democratic House Members Are Standing Up For Minnesotans’ Care
Under Speaker Pelosi’s leadership, the Democratic majority has been pursuing an aggressive strategy to lower costs, improve care, and block the Texas lawsuit and Republican sabotage:
Minnesota Reps. voted to block the Trump Department of Justice from undermining the ACA. Reps. Craig, McCollum and Phillips voted for Lauren Underwood’s resolution to prevent the Department of Justice (DOJ) from spending federal funds on litigation that undermines the Affordable Care Act, including Texas v. United States.
Minnesota Reps. voted to allow the House to intervene against the Texas lawsuit. Reps. Craig, McCollum and Phillips voted for a House rules resolution that allowed Congress to intervene against the Texas v. U.S. lawsuit. The resolution affirms the House Counsel’s authorization to intervene as a party in the lawsuit, asserting the House of Representative’s authority to defend laws it has passed and enacted into law.
Minnesota Reps. voted to condemn Trump’s reckless attacks on Americans’ health care. Reps. Craig, McCollum and Phillips voted for Collin Allred’s resolution condemning the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on the American health care system, including the Texas lawsuit.
THIS: PresidentTrump promised a plan to repeal the ACA and make health care more affordable, but according to Minnesotans, he has put “zero effort” into a plan and “spends all this time just criticizing the other people and doesn’t do anything positive” on health care. [Axios, 8/12/19]
THAT: Today, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) and Attorney General Keith Ellison will join their fellow Minnesotans in St. Paul as part of Protect Our Care’s nationwide bus tour to call for an end to the GOP’s continued war on health care, highlight the dire emergency created by the Trump-Texas lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act, and discuss how Democrats in Congress are working to lower costs and improve care.
“Care Force One” Will Travel to St. Paul, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Lansing, Livonia, Harrisburg and Bethlehem, for Events Highlighting the Health Care Emergency Created By Trump’s Lawsuit and Democrats’ Agenda to Improve Care and Lower Costs
Washington, DC — On the second week of Protect Our Care’s 5,800-mile, 21-event, 13-state nationwide bus tour, “Care Force One” is continuing across the country for stops in St. Paul (MN), Des Moines (IA), Cedar Rapids (IA), Lansing (MI), Livonia (MI), Harrisburg (PA) and Bethlehem (PA). During each stop, elected officials, health care advocates and storytellers will join Protect Our Care to call for an end to the GOP’s continued war on Americans’ health care and highlight the dire emergency created by the Trump-Republican lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Event participants will also discuss the Democratic agenda to lower costs and improve health care.
WHO: U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (MN-04) Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison Sarah Stoesz, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States Laura Packard, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Delores Flynn, SEIU member and mother of son with disabilities Rachel Zemmer, TakeAction MN WHAT: “Protect Our Care Minnesota Health Care Emergency” Press Conference WHERE: AFL-CIO headquarters, 175 Aurora Ave St. Paul, MN 55103 WHEN: Monday, August 12 at 9:45 AM CST
And continues Monday afternoon in Des Moines, IA:
WHO: Emily Holley, executive director of Iowa Voices and patient Laura Packard, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa WHAT: “Protect Our Care Iowa Health Care Emergency” Press Conference WHERE: Care Force One, Outside the State House, Press Conference in Room 22 WHEN: Monday, August 12th at 3:00 PM CST
Tuesday, Protect Our Care heads to Cedar Rapids, IA:
WHO: Laura Packard, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Robin Stone, Iowan with a pre-existing condition Sara Kissling, Iowan with a pre-existing condition Laura Wright, Iowan struggling with high prescription drug costs WHAT:“Protect Our Care Iowa Health Care Emergency” Press Conference WHERE: Outside Sen. Grassley and Sen. Ernsts’ offices, 111 7th Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 WHEN: Tuesday, August 13th at 12:00 PM CST
Wednesday morning, Protect Our Care heads to Lansing, MI:
WHO: State Sen. Curtis Hertel (D-East Lansing) State Rep. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) State Rep. Julie Brixie, (D-Meridian Township) Dr. Farhan Bhatti, CEO and Medical Director of Care Free Medical Lansing Tori Saylor, patient advocate Laura Packard, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care activist WHAT:“Protect Our Care Michigan Health Care Emergency” Press Conference WHERE: Care Force One at Michigan State Capitol, 100 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933 WHEN: Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at 11:30 AM EST
And continues Wednesday afternoon in Livonia, MI:
WHO: U.S. Representative Haley Stevens (MI-11) Dr. Mark LePage, CEO of IHA Andrea P., health care advocate and member of Little Lobbyists Laura Packard, cancer survivor and health care activist WHAT: “Protect Our Care Michigan Health Care Emergency” Press Conference WHERE: Outside St. Mary Mercy Hospital, 36475 5 Mile Road, Livonia, MI WHEN: Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at 3:00 PM EST
Thursday, Protect Our Care heads to Harrisburg, PA:
WHO: U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) Laura Packard, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Staci Ritter, Pennsylvania health care advocate with pre-existing condition WHAT:“Protect Our Care Pennsylvania Health Care Emergency” Press Conference WHERE: Outside the Pennsylvania State Capitol, 501 N 3rd St, Harrisburg, PA 17120 WHEN: Thursday, August 15, 2019 at 11:30 AM EST
The second week concludes Friday in Bethlehem, PA:
WHO: U.S. Representative Susan Wild (PA-07) Laura Packard, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Mitch Lenett, Pennsylvanian with a pre-existing condition WHAT: “Protect Our Care Pennsylvania Health Care Emergency” Press Conference WHERE: Payrow Plaza, 10 E. Church Street, Bethlehem, PA WHEN: Friday, August 16, 2019 at 11:00 AM EST
*Additional speakers to be added throughout the week
The Protect Our Care “Health Care Emergency Tour” Continues Its Third Week In:
Bangor, ME on Monday, August 19, 2019 Portland, ME on Monday, August 19, 2019 Concord, NH on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 Richmond, VA on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 Raleigh, NC on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 Charlotte, NC on Thursday, August 22, 2019 Asheville, NC on Thursday, August 22, 2019 Atlanta, GA on Friday, August 23, 2019
On the first week of Protect Our Care’s 5,800-mile, 21-event, 13-state nationwide bus tour, “Care Force One” traveled to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Santa Fe, Pueblo and Aurora. During each stop, elected officials, health care advocates and storytellers joined Protect Our Care to call for an end to the GOP’s continued war on Americans’ health care and highlight the dire emergency created by the Trump-Republican lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act.
LAS VEGAS, NV:
Protect Our Care was joined by U.S. Representatives Dina Titus (NV-01) and Susie Lee (NV-03), cancer survivors and health care advocates Laura Packard and Joe Merlino, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada executive director Laura Martin, and representatives from the Offices of Congressman Steve Horsford (NV-04) and U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto for a press conference at the SEIU Nevada Local 1107 office. Watch the press conference here.
U.S. Representative Dina Titus: “Today I attended the nationwide kickoff of the @ProtectOurCare bus tour to bring awareness to Republicans’ continued attacks on our healthcare system. That’s why I voted to let the House step in to protect the Affordable Care Act and the millions who depend on it. #ProtectOurCare.” [Rep. Titus Twitter, 8/5/19]
U.S. Representative Susie Lee: “Proud to help kick off the #HealthCareEmergency Bus Tour with @ProtectOurCare! I’ve made it clear that I will fight any and every effort that threatens Nevadans’ access to quality and affordable healthcare. Great to see @lpackard back in NV!” [Rep. Lee Twitter, 8/8/19]
Outside the Arizona State Capitol Building, Protect Our Care hosted a press conference with State House Democratic Leader Charlene Fernandez, ER physician and cancer research advocate Dr. Hiral Tiperneni and health care advocate Laura Packard.
Leader Charlene Fernandez: “Make no mistake, while Democrats debate Medicare for All, Republicans continue to attack our current healthcare by working on a full repeal of Obamacare through the courts. We need to fight to #ProtectOurCare.” [Leader Fernandez Twitter, 8/6/19]
Dr. Hiral Tiperneni: “A big thanks to @ProtectOurCare for bringing their #HealthCareEmergency tour to Phoenix and highlighting this critical issue that we face. The health and well-being of our families should never be a partisan issue. #PeopleOverPolitics #AZ06.” [Dr. Tipirneni Twitter, 8/6/19]
The “Health Care Emergency Tour” rolled into Tucson and held a press conference outside Planned Parenthood with Tucson PPFA executive director Genesis Cabillas, emergency medical physician Dr. Larry DeLuca, and health care advocates Alicia Held and Laura Packard.
U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick released a statement on the Tour stopping in Arizona’s 2nd congressional district: “After traveling the district, it’s clear that rising health care costs is a top concern for Arizona families; they want proactive solutions to fixing our health care system. As you may know, I am not afraid of taking a bold stance on health care. In 2009, I cast my proudest vote in support of the Affordable Care Act, which secured access for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. As the Trump administration continues to try and dismantle ACA protections and make health care coverage a wealthy privilege, my democratic colleagues are debating ways and passing legislation to make it more affordable. Southern Arizonans are all too familiar with the fear of losing their health care. I believe I’m fighting here today because our community knows how important it is to elect a healthcare leader. And my actions and votes prove that you can count on me to protect your care.”
KVOA: “Health care advocates, residents and those fighting illnesses met this morning for the “Protect Our Care AZ Health Care Emergency” conference. Two women fighting illnesses spoke on the importance of the affordable care act.” [KVOA Twitter, 8/7/19]
Outside the New Mexico State Capitol building on Santa Fe, Protect Our Care was joined by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Attorney General Hector Balderas, and health care advocates Laura Packard and Lan Sena for a press conference.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham: New Mexico has fought back against efforts to dismantle the ACA & take away health care from millions: Protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions: ✅ Covering all essential benefits: ✅ Prohibiting junk health plans: ✅ Protecting New Mexicans from surprise billing: ✅.” [Gov. Lujan Grisham, 8/8/19]
Protect Our Care and health care advocate Laura Packard met with Hilary Glasgow, President of the Southern Colorado Labor Council, outside Senator Cory Gardner’s office in Pueblo to deliver a copy of the Shaheen Resolution, calling on him to denounce the Trump-Texas lawsuit and defend the ACA. The building’s management tried to keep Laura and members of the press from going up to Gardner’s office, and once she and the press arrived, Gardner’s district director showed them the door, forcefully asking them to leave.
In Aurora, Protect Our Care was joined by U.S. Representative Jason Crow (CO-06), State. Rep. Dominique Jackson, and health care advocates Laura Packard, Gail DeVore and Elizabeth Emerson for a press conference at the local Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library.
SHOT: Republican Insurance Officials In Florida Tried To Claim That Medicaid Expansion Would Harm The ACA Marketplace. State officials told economists that expanding Medicaid would have a “very large impact” on the Affordable Care Act marketplace that serves 1.8 million Floridians. According to Politico, an analysis by OIR Deputy Commissioner Craig Wright claims that about 600,000 individuals would likely transition from marketplace coverage to Medicaid, and this would result in lower federal subsidies and disrupt the marketplace. [Politico, 8/6/19]
CHASER: Evidence Shows That Medicaid Expansion Actually Lowers Premiums For Marketplace Enrollees. According to a 2016 report from the Office of The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), Medicaid expansion helps lower premiums for Marketplace enrollees: “we estimate that Marketplace premiums are about 7 percent lower in states that expanded Medicaid compared to those that have not done so yet.” [ASPE, 9/6/16]
Washington, DC — Coverage from this week’s debates highlights the missed opportunity Democrats had when it came to calling out the biggest ongoing threat facing Americans’ health care: President Trump and Republicans’ lawsuit to destroy health care. And Republican are also failing to take action to lower the costs of prescription drugs and hold drug and insurance companies accountable, an issue poll after poll shows voters want action on.
“Health care won Democrats the election in 2018 and is the number one issue for voters in every poll about 2020,” said Protect Our Care chair Leslie Dach. “Democrats want to lower costs, protect people with pre-existing conditions, expand coverage and stop the relentless GOP war on American health care. President Trump and Republicans want to protect the drug and insurance industries, gut projections for pre-existing conditions and take health insurance away from tens of millions. The differences could not be more important or more obvious.”
USA Today Editorial Board: Democrats Should Focus On Trump’s “Tag-Team” Approach To Repealing The ACA. “In 2017, President Donald Trump came within a hair of repealing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Undaunted, he is now pushing a tag-team approach, where his Republican allies in Congress repeal a key part of it, and his allies in robes repeal the rest of it. If Trump were to succeed, and because he has no viable plan to replace Obamacare, tens of millions of Americans would lose their coverage, people with preexisting conditions would become vulnerable and an entire industry would be thrown into disarray.” [USA Today, 8/1/19]
The New York Times: It Was Easy To Imagine House Democrats Who Campaigned On Health Care “Being Aghast” At The Fact That Not A Single Candidate Mentioned The Texas Lawsuit. “Republicans watching the debate may well have been smiling; the infighting about taking away people’s ability to choose their health care plan and spending too much on a pipe-dream plan played into some of President Trump’s favorite talking points. Mr. Trump is focusing on health proposals that do not involve coverage — lowering drug prices, for example — as his administration sides with the plaintiffs in a court case seeking to invalidate the entire Affordable Care Act, putting millions of people’s coverage at risk. It was easy to imagine House Democrats who campaigned on health care, helping their party retake control of the chamber, being aghast at the fact that not a single candidate mentioned the case.” [The New York Times, 7/30/19]
Washington Post: Democrats’ ‘missed opportunity’ to talk about drug prices.“’There is such a disconnect between what the polling shows voters want, and where the debate is,’ said Dan Mendelson, founder of Avalere Health, a Washington-based consulting firm. Polls show that the American public wants the government to improve health care more than any other issue. And in one survey late last year by the Harvard School of Public Health and Politico, respondents were asked to choose the aspects of health care they considered extremely important for the government to address. Lowering prescription drug prices was listed by 92 percent of those surveyed — more than any other issue.” [The Washington Post, 8/1/19]
This morning, the Wall Street Journal revealed the reality of this economy…
WALL STREET JOURNAL – “Families Go Deep in Debt to Stay in the Middle Class”
“Consumer debt, not counting mortgages, has climbed to $4 trillion—higher than it has ever been even after adjusting for inflation. Mortgage debt slid after the financial crisis a decade ago but is rebounding. Student debt totaled about $1.5 trillion last year, exceeding all other forms of consumer debt except mortgages.”
If Trump and his Republicans get their way to repeal our health care laws or overturn them in court, it will raise our health care costs and make the problem even worse…
NPR – “Medicaid Expansion Takes A Bite Out Of Medical Debt”
NEW YORK TIMES – “Obamacare Seems to Be Reducing People’s Medical Debt”
CONSUMER REPORTS – “How the Affordable Care Act Drove Down Personal Bankruptcy”
“Care Force One” Will Travel to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Santa Fe, Pueblo and Aurora, for Events Highlighting the Health Care Emergency Created By Trump’s Lawsuit and Democrats’ Agenda to Improve Care and Lower Costs
Washington, DC — On the first week of Protect Our Care’s 5,800-mile, 22-event, 13-state nationwide bus tour, “Care Force One” will travel to Las Vegas and continue onward for stops in Phoenix, Tucson, Santa Fe, Pueblo and Aurora. During each stop, elected officials, health care advocates and storytellers will join Protect Our Care to call for an end to the GOP’s continued war on Americans’ health care and highlight the dire emergency created by the Trump-Republican lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Event participants will also discuss the Democratic agenda to lower costs and improve health care.
The week begins on Monday in Las Vegas, NV:
WHO: U.S. Representative Dina Titus (NV-01)
Laura Packard, cancer survivor and health care advocate
Joe Merlino, cancer survivor and health care advocate
SEIU (Service Employees International Union)
PLAN (Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada)
WHAT: “Protect Our Care Nevada Health Care Emergency” Press Conference
WHERE: SEIU, 2250 S Rancho Dr, Las Vegas, NV
WHEN: Monday, August 5, 2019 at 1:30 PM PDT
The week continues Tuesday in Phoenix, AZ:
WHO: State House Minority Leader Rep. Charlene Fernandez
Dr. Hiral Tipperninai, ER physician and cancer research advocate
Laura Packard, cancer survivor and health care advocate
WHAT: “Protect Our Care Arizona Health Care Emergency” Press Conference
WHERE: Arizona State Capitol Building, Phoenix, AZ
WHEN: Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at 10:00 AM MST
On Wednesday, “Care Force One” makes a stop in Tucson, AZ:
WHO: U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02)
Dr. Larry DeLuca, University of Arizona College of Medicine
Genesis Cubillas, Planned Parenthood Director
Laura Packard, cancer survivor and health care advocate
Jeff Jeans, cancer survivor from Sedona, AZ
Steve Gomez, father of a son with a pre-existing condition
WHAT: “Protect Our Care Arizona Health Care Emergency” Roundtable
WHERE: Planned Parenthood, Tucson, AZ
WHEN: Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at 11:30 AM MST
Next up on Thursday, Protect Our Care heads to Santa Fe, NM:
WHO: Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
NM Attorney General Hector Balderas
Laura Packard, cancer survivor and health care advocate
WHAT: “Protect Our Care New Mexico Health Care Emergency” Press Conference
WHERE: Santa Fe, NM
WHEN: Thursday, August 8, 2019 at 10:00 AM MDT
The first week ends with events on Friday in Pueblo, CO:
WHO: Laura Packard, cancer survivor and health care advocate
WHAT: “Protect Our Care Colorado Health Care Emergency” Press Conference
WHERE: Pueblo, CO
WHEN: Friday, August 9, 2019 at 10:00 AM MDT
And in Aurora, CO:
WHO: U.S. Representative Jason Crow (CO-06)
Laura Packard, cancer survivor and health care advocate
WHAT: “Protect Our Care Colorado Health Care Emergency” Press Conference
WHERE: Aurora, CO
WHEN: Friday, August 8, 2019 at 2:00 PM (local)
*More speakers to be announced throughout the week
The Protect Our Care “Health Care Emergency Tour” Continues In:
