News

Washington, DC — As President Trump heads to Hershey, Pennsylvania for a rally tonight, his sure-to-be raucous speech likely won’t include any mention of his plans to sabotage Pennsylvanians’ health care through his ongoing lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act and end Medicaid expansion in the state. Ahead of Trump’s rally, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach released the following statement:

“Here’s what Pennsylvanians won’t hear tonight — any mention from President Trump about his plans to end the expansion of the state’s Medicaid program and his lawsuit to take away their health care. President Trump’s lawsuit to repeal our health care law would rip coverage away from more than 850,000 Pennsylvanians, strip away protections for 5 million Pennsylvanians with pre-existing conditions, eliminate key support for rural hospitals, and put access to treatment for people with opioid use disorder in jeopardy. The Republican push to end Medicaid expansion won’t be tolerated in Pennsylvania. Voters are sick and tired of President Trump and his Republican allies playing politics with their health care.” 

BACKGROUND:

If Trump Gets His Way, Pennsylvanians Would Lose Their Coverage

• 858,000 Pennsylvanians could lose coverage. According to the Urban Institute, 858,000 Pennsylvanians would lose coverage by repealing the Affordable Care Act, leading to a 133 percent increase in the uninsured rate.
• 89,000 Pennsylvania 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.
• 39,000 Pennsylvania children could lose their coverage. Almost three million children nationwide gained coverage thanks to the ACA. If the law is overturned, many of these children will lose their insurance.

If Trump Gets His Way, Insurance Companies Would Be Put Back In Charge, Ending Protections For The 135 Million People Nationwide With A Pre-Existing Condition

• According to a recent analysis by the Center for American Progress, roughly half of nonelderly Americans, or as many as 135 million people, have a pre-existing condition. This includes:
  • 44 million people who have high blood pressure
  • 45 million people who have behavioral health disorders
  • 44 million people who have high cholesterol
  • 34 million people who have asthma and chronic lung disease
  • 34 million people who have osteoarthritis and other joint disorders
• 5,253,600 Pennsylvanians have a pre-existing condition, including 634,900 Pennsylvania children, 2,574,000 Pennsylvania women, and 1,366,200 Pennsylvanians between ages 55 and 64. 

If Trump Gets His Way, Medicaid Expansion Would Be Repealed

• 800,900 Pennsylvanians Enrolled Through Medicaid Expansion Could Lose Coverage. Seventeen million people have coverage through the expanded Medicaid program, including 800,900 in Pennsylvania.
• 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 Pennsylvania hospitals with $1.8 billion more in uncompensated care. 

Under Speaker Pelosi’s Leadership, House Democrats Prepare to Pass Historic Legislation to Lower Drug Prices and Expand Medicare

Washington, DC — As the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) works its way through the House of Representatives this week, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement:

“Under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, House Democrats this week are poised to pass groundbreaking legislation that will lower drug costs for the American people, stand up to Big Pharma and make historic new investments in Medicare. This bill includes the most comprehensive drug pricing reform in American history and the largest expansion to Medicare benefits in decades. For years Democrats have fought to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices and to expand Medicare benefits to include vision, dental, and hearing and this bill does both. 

“Unfortunately, Republicans remain in the pockets of the drug industry and their lobbyists, and continue to oppose giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prices. There is no tool more popular and more effective in lowering costs for the American people, which is why Big Pharma is fighting so hard to oppose H.R. 3 and it’s why any Republican-sponsored legislation that does not give Medicare that power is unacceptable.”

BACKGROUND:

How The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act Reins In Prescription Drug Costs: 

• The plan gives Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices.
• Not only will those on Medicare benefit from these savings, but the lower prices would apply to anyone purchasing drugs no matter how they are insured. Prices would go down for those who get insurance from employers and those who buy it directly from insurance companies. Whether you’re a child with asthma, a teen with diabetes or a young parent with a rare illness, this bill will bring drug prices down for everyone. 
• This plan will stop unjustified price gouging for thousands of medications and require drug companies to lower their prices or pay a penalty. 
• Drug companies would be penalized if they keep the system rigged and their prices high. 
• Independent analysts have confirmed this bill reduces prescription costs for patients by up to 55% and saves taxpayers $500 billion.  
• These savings will be used for a historic expansion of Medicare benefits so it covers hearing, vision, and dental care for the first time.

Protect Our Care’s ongoing work to promote the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) includes hosting more than 40 events, press calls, and roundtables in 14 states plus the District of Columbia, placing op-eds and letters to the editor around the country, releasing polling showing broad bipartisan support for major provisions of the bill and $2 million on digital and connected TV advertising in 20 targeted congressional districts.   

Washington, DC — Today, House Democrats announced new guidance from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) that will confirm that, by giving Medicare the power and the tools to negotiate, the bill will save taxpayers approximately half a trillion dollars over the next 10 years. The bill will use those savings to invest in a historic expansion of Medicare to include new benefits such as dental, hearing and vision as well as funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to assist in the search for new cures and treatments. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“The Lower Drug Costs Now Act represents an historic investment in Medicare and historic savings on the cost of prescription drugs. This bill is a win for the American people, full stop. It lowers drug prices by giving Medicare the power and the tools to negotiate for lower drug prices. The half a trillion dollars in savings will be invested into hearing, vision and dental benefits for Medicare beneficiaries and into the life-saving work of the NIH.

“This bill should have the support of every member of Congress if not for Big Pharma’s spending. President Trump and Republicans will face this choice next week: support legislation that lowers the cost of prescription drugs for every American or side with Big Pharma against the interests of virtually everyone. You can well bet if Republicans choose the latter over the former, we will make sure the American people know whose side they are on.”

Washington, DC — Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Ways & Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal and Education & Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott announced that Democrats’ landmark drug pricing bill, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) will be brought to the House floor for a vote next week. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach released the following statement: 

“Thanks to the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, Congress now has the opportunity to take historic action to lower prescription drug prices by passing the Lower Drug Costs Now Act. A vote on this bill puts every member of Congress on the record on whether they stand with the American people or with big drug companies who spend hundreds of millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions to rig the system to keep prices high. Meanwhile, the White House and Congressional Republicans continue defending big pharma and oppose the single most effective and popular solution to lower costs — giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices. By holding a vote on H.R. 3 next week, Democrats are sending a clear message that they’re united in their mission to lower costs and are ready to deliver for the American people.” 

Americans shopping for health insurance during open enrollment are being warned about the perils of short-term “junk” insurance plans that cost more and cover less. As reports have made clear this past week, brokers often use deceptive marketing tactics to lure people into purchasing these seemingly lower-cost plans, which end up not covering pre-existing conditions and saddling patients with high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. The Trump administration and Republicans have pushed and advocated for these types of junk plans that undermine Americans’ health care. 

Anchorage Daily News (Alaska): Opinion: Alaskans Put At Risk By Junk Health Care Plans. “Junk plans are bad for Alaskans, plain and simple. Designed to skirt the Affordable Care Act’s vital consumer protections, they do not have to provide comprehensive coverage, and they allow insurers to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. When junk plans are allowed to proliferate, consumers are often led to websites where brokers sell non-ACA compliant health insurance plans. Patients end up saddled with huge medical bills when they find out their insurance won’t cover basic things like hospitalization or prescription drugs, sometimes leading to bankruptcy.” [Anchorage Daily News, 11/28/19]

MPR News (Minnesota): Substandard Health Insurance Comes With Low Premiums But High Risk.“Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley said his office has been getting complaints. ‘People were trying to save some money on a plan and then discovered that they were actually going to have to spend more because something wasn’t covered,’ Kelley said.” [MPR News, 11/25/19] 

Houston Chronicle (Texas): Risky Business: Buying Health Insurance In The New Age Of Deregulation. “Under the Trump administration, significant portions of the individual insurance market have been deregulated and rules governing the federal health care law known as Obamacare rolled back. The goal is to deliver on an administration promise of lower premiums and greater choice. The trade-off, though, is a return to a past when polices came with restrictions and exemptions tucked inside, limiting coverage for pre-existing conditions, prescription drugs, hospitalization and preventative care…Further, because these plans operate outside the rules of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies backing them can spend less on customer medical claims and pocket a bigger share of premiums for overhead and profit.” [Houston Chronicle, 11/27/19] 

Pennlive (Pennsylvania): Shopping For Health Insurance? Be Wary Of Being Led Into ‘Junk Plans,’ Sen. Bob Casey Jr. Says. “It’s the time of year when many Americans are shopping for health insurance and it can be a confusing and daunting task. It’s made more difficult by online advertisements designed to mislead consumers, according to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa. In particular, some of these searches direct customers to “junk plans” that may not cover pre-existing conditions, Casey said.” [Pennlive, 12/2/19] 

Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania): He Didn’t Know He Had A Pre-Existing Condition – Until His Insurer Rejected His $35,000 Hospital Bill. “Once a common practice, the Affordable Care Act banned major medical plans from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, or medical issues that existed before enrollment. But LaFrance didn’t have major medical insurance. He’d mistakenly purchased short-term limited-duration insurance, a type of plan that has become more readily available under the Trump administration. It’s less expensive, but also less regulated, and is allowed to refuse to pay for services related to pre-existing conditions.” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/25/19] 

Washington, DC — Today, Tennessee formally asked the Trump administration to convert the state’s Medicaid program into a block grant. These so-called block grants being pushed by the Trump administration are seen by health care experts as blatant attempts to gut coverage and kick people off the rolls, and have repeatedly been rejected by Congress. In response, Protect Our Care executive director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement:

“The multi-pronged attack on Medicaid by Tennessee Republicans and the Trump administration should tell you everything about the motives behind this latest proposal: kick people off the rolls, tear apart the foundations of the program, and watch Americans who rely on coverage through Medicaid suffer. This push to turn Medicaid into block grants, — along with promoting junk plans, working to repeal the ACA, and the reckless Texas lawsuit — is just another front in the Trump-Republican war on health care. Initiating block grants isn’t about improving or reforming health care; it’s about ripping coverage away from more Americans, plain and simple.”

BACKGROUND:

Experts And Health Advocates Warn That This Plan Would Wreak Havoc On Tennesseans’ Health Care: 

Michele Johnson, Executive Director Of The Tennessee Justice Center, Said That The Proposal Would Be “Devastating For Our Health Care Infrastructure, For The Tennessee Economy, And For Our Communities.” “Michele Johnson, executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, a group representing vulnerable residents needing health care and other assistance, said the proposed changes to TennCare would be ‘devastating for our health infrastructure, for the Tennessee economy, and for our communities.” [Washington Post, 9/17/19] 

More Than Two Dozen Health Advocacy Groups Warned CMS That Block Grants “Will Reduce Access To Quality And Affordable Healthcare For Patients With Serious And Chronic Health Conditions.” “Moving to a block grant or per capita cap would also have widespread negative impacts on state economies. Cuts to Medicaid will not only impact those enrolled, but the entire healthcare system, as many critical healthcare entities, such as children’s hospitals, rely on Medicaid financing for their financial stability. The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion has led to significant reductions in uncompensated care costs and reduced the likelihood of hospital closures, especially in rural areas – progress that could be lost under block grant and per capita cap policies. Our organizations are concerned that CMS has not adequately considered these negative impacts. Finally, our organizations believe that the Administration does not have the authority to allow states to implement block grants or per capita caps through the 1115 waiver process. The Secretary is not permitted to waive Sections 1903 and 1905, where the financing structure of the Medicaid program is located, through these types of waivers. Such a change would require congressional authority, yet Congress has repeatedly declined to pass legislation on this issue, most recently during the debate over repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act in 2017. Simply put, block grants and per capita caps will reduce access to quality and affordable healthcare for patients with serious and chronic health conditions and are therefore unacceptable to our organizations.” [American Lung Association et. al. letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, 7/18/19] 

Nashville Tennessean: Governor’s Plan To Implement Block Grant Proposal Would “Almost Certainly” Change Medicaid Coverage. “The whole point of the block grant proposal is that Tennessee officials think they can run their state Medicaid program better than the federal government. If the block grant proposal is enacted, the state government would likely gain control over who is eligible for TennCare and which medications and treatment are covered. State officials could potentially decide to stop paying for a medication that is now covered or start covering a procedure that is currently outside the scope of TennCare.”  [Nashville Tennessean, 8/25/19] 

Robin Rudowitz, A Medicaid Analyst At The Kaiser Family Foundation, Said Block Grants Run Counter To “Core Principles” Of Medicaid. “’There are two foundational things in Medicaid—an entitlement for all individuals eligible for coverage, and a guarantee to states of federal matching dollars,’ said Robin Rudowitz, a Medicaid analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation. ‘Block grants run counter to both of those core principles.’”  [Modern Healthcare, 5/7/19] 

Two Major Tennessee Hospital Groups Expressed Concern That Block Grant Proposal Would Weaken Health Insurance For Families. “Two major Tennessee hospital companies say a plan to convert billions of federal Medicaid funding to a block grant may weaken health insurance for poor families or cause TennCare to run out of money during an economic recession. […] For this story, The Tennessean contacted about a dozen Tennessee hospital companies seeking comment from their executives about the block grant proposal. Interviews were conducted with experts at Saint Thomas Health in Nashville and Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis, both of whom expressed concerns, and with the CEO of Ballad Health in East Tennessee, which was supportive.” [Nashville Tennessean, 9/12/19] 

Republican State Senator And Cardiothoracic Surgeon Richard Briggs Said “A Straight Block Grant Could Be Very Dangerous.” “’A straight block grant could be very dangerous,’ said Briggs, who for the past few years has unsuccessfully pushed for Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. ‘If we go into a recession—and we’re due for one—there will be more people going into Medicaid, and the state would have to make up revenues to cover them.’” [Modern Healthcare, 5/7/19] 

Ad Campaign Now Covers Twenty House Districts and Totals $4 Million

Watch New Ads HERE

Washington, DC — Protect Our Care (POC) added ten new districts to its digital advertising campaign in support of freshman members of Congress who are leading the fight to lower prescription drug costs and protect people with pre-existing conditions. POC’s $2 million expansion brings the organization’s investment in this campaign to $4 million covering 20 House districts of freshmen Democrats who ran and won on the issue of health care in 2018 and who have led the fight to improve American health care since joining the House earlier this year.

The districts added today are part of the House Education and Leadership Project (HELP), which Protect Our Care launched in September with an initial ten congressional districts. The campaign seeks to show constituents how their newly elected representative is delivering on their promises to protect care and lower costs in order to encourage the entire Congress to do the same. The latest round of ads begins with a focus on these Members’ work to lower prescription drug costs, specifically their support for giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prices (H.R 3) and efforts to rein in drug and insurance companies. The full campaign includes a series of 15- and 30-second ads. 

“Millions of Americans who worry about the rising costs of health care should know that these members of Congress are working to lower the costs of prescription drugs and end the rigged system created by big drug and insurance companies,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “While the White House and Congressional Republicans oppose effective and popular solutions like giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices, these members are delivering on their promise to lower costs and protect Americans’ health care.” 

The HELP campaign now includes these ten additional districts and kicks off with a 15 second ad on reducing drug prices:

Angie Craig (MN-02)

Sharice Davids (KS-03)

Antonio Delgado (NY-19)

Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07)

Jared Golden (ME-02)

Susie Lee (NV-03)

Elaine Luria (VA-02)

Lucy McBath (GA-06)

Chris Pappas (NH-01)

Susan Wild (PA-07)

The new ads will also run in districts included in the original campaign announcement:

Colin Allred (TX-32)

Cindy Axne (IA-03)

Abby Finkenauer (IA-01)

Andy Kim (NJ-03)

Katie Porter (CA-45)

Elissa Slotkin (MI-08)

Abigail Spanberger (VA-07)

Haley Stevens (MI-11)

Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

Ad Script:

Representative Elissa Slotkin is standing up to big drug companies.

She’s fighting to give Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices, reducing your costs by as much as 55%.

Thank her for leading the fight to lower your drug prices.

Washington, DC — Tonight, Louisiana voters went to the polls and rejected Trump’s sabotage agenda and the Republican candidate, Eddie Rispone. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement:

“President Trump’s disastrous health care agenda was front and center this election and voters in Louisiana soundly rejected it by denying the governorship to a Republican who supports the president’s war on health care. In Virginia, Kentucky, and now Louisiana voters have sent a message that they support Medicaid expansion, ensuring protections for pre-existing conditions and want nothing to do with Republicans’ efforts to sabotage their health care. This election sends a warning to Trump and Republicans across the country that their repeated attacks on Americans’ health care will continue to cost them at the ballot box.”