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Sean England
In Uncategorized

Key Stakeholders Warned Of Increased Costs, Lost Coverage And Destabilized Markets During the Fight…

Senate Republicans are ignoring bipartisan opposition and trying to repeal health care once again by inserting a provision into the tax bill that repeals the individual mandate. This provision would leave 13 million people without health coverage, raise premiums by double digits and destabilize the insurance markets.

But don’t take our word for it. Key stakeholders warned of these effects right before the Senate voted down the so-called “skinny” repeal bill.

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Society: “Critical Patient Protections In The Current Health Care Law That Ended Discrimination Against People With Pre-existing Conditions, Eliminated Annual And Lifetime Benefit Limits, And Guaranteed Minimum Essential Coverage Will Not Be Sustainable If The Provisions Reported To Be In The “Skinny” Repeal Bill Are Enacted Into Law.” “Critical patient protections in the current health care law that ended discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions, eliminated annual and lifetime benefit limits, and guaranteed minimum essential coverage will not be sustainable if the provisions reported to be in the “skinny” repeal bill are enacted into law. The legislation could cause the individual insurance market to collapse putting millions of American families at financial risk.” [ACS CAN, 7/27/17]

AARP: “The Bill Will Leave Millions Uninsured, Destabilize The Health Insurance Market And Lead to Spikes In The Cost Of Premiums.” “AARP, with its nearly 38 million members, writes to express our opposition to the reported McConnell “skinny” repeal bill. The bill will leave millions uninsured, destabilize the health insurance market and lead to spikes in the cost of premiums. The CBO confirms that the provisions of the reported “skinny” repeal bill will lead to 16 million Americans losing their health coverage, including 4 million Americans who will lose employer-sponsored coverage. The result will be higher health care costs and fewer choices for millions of older Americans. We urge you to reject this flawed bill and this cynical approach. Instead, we urge you to begin work on a bipartisan solution to lower health costs and protect and strengthen the coverage that millions of Americans rely upon.” [AARP, 7/27/17]

America’s Health Insurance Plans: “We Would Oppose An Approach That Eliminates The Individual Coverage Requirement, Does Not Offer Alternative Continuous Coverage Solutions, And Does Not Include Measures To Immediately Stabilize The Individual Market.” “This continued uncertainty — combined with targeted proposals that would eliminate key elements of current law without new stabilizing solutions — will not solve the problems in the individual market, and in fact will result in higher premiums, fewer choices for consumers, and fewer people covered next year. We would oppose an approach that eliminates the individual coverage requirement, does not offer alternative continuous coverage solutions, and does not include measures to immediately stabilize the individual market.” [AHIP, 7/27/17]

Association For Community Affiliated Plans: “Simply Repealing The Individual Mandate Without An Equivalent Mechanism To Encourage Participation May Well Be The Trigger That Incites A Death Spiral In The Marketplaces.” “However, we remain concerned about the proposed skinny plan and the impact it would have on the Marketplaces. Simply repealing the individual mandate without an equivalent mechanism to encourage participation may well be the trigger that incites a death spiral in the Marketplaces. And it would place ACAP’s member plans in the untenable position of having to choose whether and for how long they can remain in an unstable marketplace, jeopardizing the coverage of millions of Americans receiving coverage from safety net plans. ACAP urges the Senate to reject the so-called “skinny plan” and instead work with stakeholders in a bipartisan manner to fix the Affordable Care Act. We stand ready to work with both the House and the Senate, as we have stood ready for many months, to identify, pass, and implement fixes to the Affordable Care Act and underlying health care system.” [ACAP, 7/27/17]

Consumers Union: “This So-Called ‘Skinny Repeal’ Would Not Only Still Leave Millions Uninsured, Destabilize The Insurance Markets Further, And Trigger Skyrocketing Premiums, But Is Also An Attempt To Try To Breathe New Life Into The Harmful Ideas In Both The American Health Care Act And The Better Care Reconciliation Act.” “Rather than finding a new way forward to strengthen the insurance markets, Senate leaders are using smoke and mirrors to make it seem as if this latest proposal is somehow different or better than the ones just voted down in the Senate. Don’t be fooled. This so-called ‘skinny repeal’ would not only still leave millions uninsured, destabilize the insurance markets further, and trigger skyrocketing premiums, but is also an attempt to try to breathe new life into the harmful ideas in both the American Health Care Act and the Better Care Reconciliation Act — both hugely unpopular proposals that have been rejected by Senators repeatedly.” [Consumers Union, 7/27/17]

American Medical Association: “Skinny Repeal” Will Lead “To Adverse Selection That Would Increase Premiums And Destabilize The Individual Market.” “There has been considerable speculation regarding a so-called “skinny package” that would primarily eliminate penalties related to the individual and employer mandates and provide tax cuts to device manufactures and the health insurance industry. Eliminating the mandate to obtain coverage only exacerbates the affordability problem that critics say they want to address. Instead, it leads to adverse selection that would increase premiums and destabilize the individual market.” [AMA, 7/26/17]

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: “A System That Allows People To Purchase Coverage Only When They Need It Drives Up Costs For Everyone.” “If there is no longer a requirement for everyone to purchase coverage, it is critical that any legislation include strong incentives for people to obtain health insurance and keep it year-round. A system that allows people to purchase coverage only when they need it drives up costs for everyone.” [New York Times, 7/26/17]

American Academy Of Actuaries Health Practice Council: Repealing The Individual Mandate Would Raise Premiums And Costs To The Federal Government. “Eliminating the mandate, by lowering financial penalties or exempting particular categories of individuals from its requirements, would likely have significant implications for health insurance coverage and costs both to consumers and the federal government….Eliminating the individual mandate would lead to premium increases….Higher premiums could lead to increased federal government costs for premium subsidies.” [American Academy of Actuaries, 7/25/17]

Sean England
In Uncategorized

The GOP Tax Plan is a Triple Punch to Health Care For the Middle Class

Republicans are desperate to pass their tax plan before anyone notices what’s in it. Why?

Three key parts — repealing the mandate, forcing Medicare cuts and cutting deductions for medical expense — are just the latest attempt by Republicans in Washington to attack the health care that middle class families depend on.

The three-pronged assault includes:

Premiums Go Up

Reuters: “Repeal of individual mandate would increase uninsured, premiums: CBO”

Medicare Goes Down

The Hill: “GOP tax bill could spur $25 billion in Medicare cuts: CBO”

Medical Expense Deduction Goes Away

Los Angeles Times: “GOP tax plan would scrap deduction for big medical expenses”

Sean England
In Uncategorized

Gutting The Medical Expense Deduction Would Harm Those Who Most Need the Help

As President Trump and House Republicans attempt to put the finishing touches on a tax bill which would gut the medical expense deduction to give a tax break to billionaires and corporations, it’s important to keep in mind the monumental, detrimental effects this would have on everyday Americans. Recent stories have highlighted the wide range of people who use this deduction, from expenses incurred while caring for a spouse to parents attempting to make ends meet while supporting children born with medical issues. Repealing this deduction would harm the very people who need it the most, and for no good reason — it’s incumbent on Congress to reject this policy change.

“My Husband Had A Neurodegenterative Condition, Which Rendered Him Totally Disabled… I Loved My Husband And Was Determined To Keep Him At Home With Me. We Were Fortunately Able To Afford These Aides… Because I Was Able To Deduct These Extensions.” — Terri Corcoran of Falls Church, Virginia

“Terri Corcoran of Falls Church, Va., like so many others, wrote to me about why the medical expense deduction is so valuable for families faced with enormous health bills: ‘My husband had a neurodegenerative condition, which rendered him totally disabled both mentally and physically within five years of our 17-year marriage,’ Corcoran wrote. ‘I cared for him at home until his death last year. I employed home health aides for about 10 hours a day to help me care for him. I could not work because my husband needed my full-time care, in addition to the aides I employed. I loved my husband and was determined to keep him at home with me. We were fortunately able to afford the aides, because I was very careful with the money we had, and BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO DEDUCT THESE EXPENSES TO LOWER MY INCOME TAX BILL. There are many family caregivers in this situation. Their medical expenses also include home adaptive renovations, health insurance, handicap equipment, doctor and drug expenses not covered by insurance, and more. Family caregivers SAVE the government by not accessing Medicaid. Family caregivers are caught between astronomical expenses and in many cases, the inability to work because of the caregiving demands.’” [Washington Post, 11/13/17]

“For Them, It’s Not a Once-In-A-Lifetime Tax Break, But A Provision That Enables Them To Survive Financially Year After Year.” — Bill Storey of St. Louis, Missouri

“Tell that to Bill Storey. ‘This would be a massive hit,’ Storey, 61, told me Tuesday. He and his wife, Joan, 64, had to retire from their jobs a few years ago as a technology professional and schoolteacher, respectively, at a St. Louis-area school district — he to take care of a sick parent, and she because a heart condition made it impossible to continue working. Now their medical expenses reach about $37,000 a year. The sum includes $1,500 in monthly COBRA premiums for their insurance (COBRA allows them to continue their employer-based coverage by paying for it out of their own pockets), heart drugs for Joan that aren’t covered by their health plan, tests and treatments for her condition and other incidental healthcare expenses falling outside the COBRA umbrella. That spending yields them a deduction of about $29,000 in healthcare expenses. For them it’s not a once-in-a-lifetime tax break, but a provision that enables them to survive financially year after year. It wouldn’t give them more flexibility to use their paychecks, but would wipe out much of their income.” [Los Angeles Times, 11/7/17]

“It All Has To Go To Pay For 24-Hour Home Care… ‘Removing The Itemized Medical Deductiosn Would Spell Financial Disaster For Me.’” — Stephen Trattner of Southern California.

“Tell it to Stephen Trattner, 73, a retiree from a Southern California scientific think tank suffering from multiple sclerosis who now lives on a $75,000 annual pension, Social Security, and whatever he can eke out from about $100,000 in savings. It all has to go to pay for 24-hour home care because he needs assistance with the daily chores of life — helping him get into and out of bed and a wheelchair, preparing his meals, driving to appointments. Trattner writes off about $70,000 a year in medical expenses, which gives him a tax break in the range of $15,000-$20,000. ‘Removing the itemized medical deductions would spell financial disaster for me,’ he says. It means burning through the last of his nest egg in a bit more than half the time he might be able to husband it otherwise. And that might drive him out of his Westwood condo in three years, instead of allowing him to stretch out his residency there for another six or seven. And that’s if his expenses don’t rise — but condo fees and wages for his home help service go up every year. [Los Angeles Times, 11/7/17]

“It Got To The Point Where She Couldn’t Take A Shower For Fear He Would Stray Out Of The House… ‘Losing That Tax Deduction Becomes A Double Burden.’” — Suzanne Hollock of Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Suzanne Hollack tried to care for her husband at home after he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia at age 69. But it got to the point where she couldn’t take a shower for fear he would stray out of the house. So 18 months ago, she moved him to a memory care community near their home in Scottsdale, Az., which like most long-term care, is not covered by Medicare. That, plus his other medical expenses, cost the couple $90,000 last year. ‘These expenses place a huge burden on your retirement savings,’ said Mrs. Hollack, whose husband, Harry, managed operations for semiconductor companies. ‘ Losing that tax deduction becomes a double burden.’” [New York Times, 11/8/17]

“Our Son James Was Born In April 2011 And Was Not Released From The Hospital Until January Of 2012… If The Medical Expenses Deduction Is Eliminated, Our Taxes Would Increase.” — Jenny, California.

“Our son James was born in April 2011 and was not released from the hospital until January of 2012. We lived in a rural part of California, and the closest hospital with the capacity to care for our son was almost 200 miles away… As you can imagine, this got very expensive. That year, we drove more than 20,000 miles for medical care. That’s a lot of trips to the gas station. Every once in a while we would get lucky and get a room at the Ronald McDonald House, which only charged $10 per night, but most of the time the McDonald House was full and we were on our own to find a hotel. Then there were copays, deductibles, and medical equipment that was not covered by our insurance that we had to pay out of pocket. In all, that year we were able to deduct nearly $20,000 in expenses related to James’ medical care — far less than what we actually paid out of pocket, but being able to deduct those expenses made a huge difference for us. In the years since, we generally spend at least a few thousand dollars a year out of pocket on medical supplies that our insurance doesn’t cover. For example: my son uses a ventilator to breathe for him overnight, and the only connectors that our medical supplier provides are incorrectly sized and pull at his tracheostomy stoma, causing pain and bleeding… If the medical expenses deduction is eliminated, our taxes would increase, because our taxable income would increase.The out of pocket medical expenses we pay for our child are a constant: we simply cannot stop driving to medical appointments or buying extremely specialized medical equipment and supplies.We’ll still be on the hook for his medical expenses, but the extra money we’ll be paying in taxes means we’ll have less money for everything else in life.” [Little Lobbyists, 11/8/17]

Sean England
In Uncategorized

The 2017 Election By the Headlines: Health Care Wins

On Tuesday, voters across the country went to the polls and expressed one opinion above all: the rejection of health care repeal. From Virginia’s gubernatorial race — where exit polls found 39% of voters listing health care as their top issue and Governor-elect Ralph Northam beating Ed Gillespie by 54 points among these voters — to Maine’s ballot initiative — the first time the Affordable Care Act was on the ballot, with voters backing Medicaid expansion 59–41 — health care dominated the night. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at the headlines…

CNN: Obamacare had a good showing on Election Day

Los Angeles Times: Healthcare, for years a political winner for GOP, now powers Democratic wins

Washington Post: Medicaid won bigly in Tuesday’s elections

Associated Press: In election glow, Dems see health care as a winning issue

The Guardian: Americans show support for Obamacare despite Trump’s repeal attempts

New York Times: Election Results Invigorate Medicaid Expansion Hopes

The Atlantic: Obamacare Becomes Popular Again

Huffington Post: For Next Year’s Election, Be A Health Care Voter

Talking Points Memo: Sorry LePage!: Maine Becomes 1st State To Expand Medicaid By Popular Vote

Independent Journal Review: Maine Voters Rebuke Trump, Pass Medicaid Expansion in Huge Win for Obamacare

Fortune: Obamacare Gets Vote of Approval in Maine Referendum on Medicaid Expansion

Fortune: 3 Ways Obamacare Won Big in Election 2017

Forbes: Medicaid Expansion Wins In Maine In Victory For Obamacare

ThinkProgress: Virginia voters sent a loud message about health care

Middletown Transcript: Perhaps people do want health insurance

Washington Examiner: Democrats seize on election results, Obamacare enrollment to urge bipartisan healthcare deal

Sean England
In Uncategorized

A Great Week For Health Care (And It’s Only Wednesday)

To: Interested Parties

From: Brad Woodhouse, Protect Our Care Campaign Director

Date: November 8, 2017

Re: A Great Week For Health Care (And It’s Only Wednesday) — Open Enrollment Surges, VA Voters Reject Repeal and Maine Votes for Medicaid Expansion

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

When Donald Trump was elected president a year ago, he and Republicans in Congress believed they would move quickly to repeal our health care. They were wrong. And last night, voters sent a resounding message: stop trying to take away and sabotage our health care. From Virginia and Maine to state legislative races across the country, voters made clear they reject partisan repeal and are looking for bipartisan solutions that build on the successes of the Affordable Care Act and lower costs and expand access.

This has been a good week for health care — and it’s only Wednesday.

First, we’re seeing a surge in open enrollment as people find affordable plans. Open enrollment began on November 1 and ends on December 15. Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to sabotage open enrollment — from cutting outreach advertisements by 90 percent and scheduling maintenance for Healthcare.gov during traditionally high sign-up times — people across the country are signing up for coverage. In fact, more than 200,000 people picked a plan on the first day of open enrollment — November 1 — more than double the number of people who chose a plan on the first day of last year’s open enrollment. Traffic to Healthcare.gov has increased 33 percent from last year. And the reason is simple: they can find an affordable plan that works for them and their budget. 8 out 10 can find a plan for less than $75 and most can find a plan for less than $50 per month. While people who receive financial help should see lower costs across the board, this year, bronze plans are much cheaper. In fact, in 85% of American counties a 55 year old couple making $40k a year can find a bronze plan for $0 per month.

Second, voters across the country rejected health care repeal and sabotage and supported pro-health care candidates. From Virginia to New Jersey to Maine and all around the country, voters rejected candidates who backed the GOP’s agenda of health care repeal and sabotage and embraced candidates who supported quality, affordable coverage for everyone.

  • In the Virginia gubernatorial race, health care was the #1 issue to voters (39%) — more than double any other issue. Among those voters, Ralph Northam beat Ed Gillespie by 54 points (77% to 23%). A new PPP poll showed voters said Gillespie’s support for repealing the Affordable Care Act made it less likely to vote for him by a 24 point margin, and 47 percent of voters said Ralph Northam’s approach to health care made them more likely to vote for him.


  • In Virginia delegate races, candidate after candidate backed Medicaid expansion and came away with upset wins.
  • In the New Jersey gubernatorial race, among the 19% who ranked health care their top issue, voters preferred Phil Murphy over Kim Guadagno, who opposed the Affordable Care Act, by 74 points (86–12).
  • In New Hampshire, Manchester Mayor-Elect Joyce Craig broke with the incumbent mayor to endorse Medicaid expansion and won a decisive victory.
  • In Florida, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, an outspoken supporter of the Affordable Care Act, was re-elected in a hotly-contested race.
  • In Georgia, two new state House members who won major upset victories backed Medicaid expansion, while their Republican opponents refused to do so.

Third, the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid Expansion proposal won on the ballot. In the first popular vote of its kind, Mainers voted to expand Medicaid, a key component of the Affordable Care Act that would provide access to coverage to 80,000 Mainers and create 3,000 jobs, by nearly 20 points with 59% of the vote. There was widespread support for the measure in all parts of the state, including rural areas. Unfortunately, Governor Paul LePage said he would continue to sabotage health care and not implement the policy. We need to continue to hold him and others who sabotage our care accountable.

What Does This Mean?

There are a few key lessons we should take away from this week.

  • Despite President Trump’s sabotage efforts and proclamation that the ACA is dead, people want affordable coverage and trust the ACA to provide it. The surge in sign-ups during the first week of open enrollment show people want to have quality, affordable coverage, despite all the fights going on in Washington, DC.
  • People overwhelmingly reject health repeal and sabotage. Last night’s election results are consistent with polls throughout this year that reject President Trump’s and Republican efforts to repeal and sabotage health care and want to find bipartisan solutions to improve health care. Those who continue to support these repeal efforts will pay a political price.
  • Health care is a winning issue and support for repeal is a loser. Candidates who embraced expanding coverage and providing quality, affordable health care to everyone were rewarded last night. Health care is a voting issue.
  • Voters want a bipartisan approach to health care. Members of Congress should listen to the message voters sent last night and pass the bipartisan proposal sponsored by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) that would reject repeal, keep premiums low and stabilize the marketplace.
Sean England
In Uncategorized

Protect Our Care Releases “Health Care Wins” Video After Support for Health Care Dominates Big…


Last night, in races across the country, health care proved to be among the most decisive issues. It won in Maine, where the Affordable Care Act was on the ballot for the first time and Medicaid expansion was decisively approved. It won in the Virginia gubernatorial race, where it was the number one issue on the minds of voters. It played an important role in the New Jersey gubernatorial race. It won in numerous Virginia House of Delegates races. And it won across the country, helping those who are pro-health care expansion win races in New Hampshire, Florida and Georgia.

As the political analysts and reporters on cable and local news noted, health care is a winning issue for Democrats. This Protect Our Care video shows just how important an issue it is.

Sean England
In Uncategorized

Support For Health Care Dominates 2017 Elections

From the night’s most important race — Virginia voters overwhelmingly cited health care as the most important issue and picked Ralph Northam by 54 points — to the Affordable Care’s first time on a state ballot — Maine voters “easily approved” a referendum expanding Medicaid — health care was the dominant issue across the country in the 2017 elections.

In New Hampshire, Mayor-Elect Joyce Craig broke with the incumbent mayor to endorse Medicaid expansion and won a decisive victory; in Virginia delegate races, candidate after candidate backed Medicaid expansion and came away with upset wins; and in Florida, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, an outspoken supporter of the Affordable Care Act, was re-elected in a hotly-contested race. And as the AP reports, with Utah and Idaho looking to expand Medicaid too, last night could be just the start…

Washington Post: In Virginia, the network exit poll asked respondents which one of five issues mattered most in deciding their vote for governor: 39 percent said health care, far more than any other issue. And health-care focused voters favored Northam by a giant 77 percent to 23 percent margin in preliminary exit polls.

Axios: Exit polls in Virginia showed that health care was the №1 issue for a plurality of voters — and 78% of those voters broke for Democrat Ralph Northam. Virginia already had a Democratic governor. The party’s immense gains in the state legislature, where past efforts to expand Medicaid failed, are what move it closer to reality.

CNBC: The Virginia results increased the likelihood that the state will vote to expand Medicaid under Obamacare. Republicans had blocked outgoing Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe from achieving that goal. At the same time, voters in Maine took Medicaid expansion into their own hands by approving it in a referendum that overpowered opposition from Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Entrenching the expansion in a 32nd state — where Sen. Susan Collins has already cast a key vote against Obamacare repeal — makes Trump’s hope for reviving that effort even more remote.

Washington Post: Less than two months after Republicans’ latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act imploded, a purple state just made a decidedly blue-state move to essentially expand Obamacare. On Tuesday, Maine became the first state to expand Medicaid with a ballot initiative. And it passed overwhelmingly: Maine voters agreed to grant health care to an estimated 70,000 low-income residents by a nearly 20-percentage point margin by the time the measure was called by election watchers. In other words, a sizable number of voters in Maine just voted to do the exact opposite of what the state’s Republican governor and Republicans in Washington have been trying to do.

Richmond Times-Dispatch: The potentially stunning reversal of power in the House could break a political logjam over expansion of Medicaid in Virginia under the Affordable Care Act, if the federal law survives further attacks by Trump and Republicans in Congress. “It means that we will move forward with Medicaid expansion and have health care for everyone who needs it,” declared [Delegate-elect Debra Rodman], who made the issue a centerpiece of her campaign… “I will fight every day to protect our public schools, expand access to affordable health care, and create an economy that works for everybody,” [Delegate-elect Schuler VanValkenburg] said in his victory statement.

USA Today: Chris Hurst, 30, supported stricter gun safety measures, but centered his campaign around other issues including an expansion of Medicaid and increased funding for schools. Hurst was one of several upset winners in state House elections Tuesday that could tip the majority to Democrats when the final recounts are completed. “We can seize on this opportunity to expand Medicaid in the Commonwealth so that everybody who is working but living in poverty can have access to health insurance,” Hurst told a crowd of ecstatic supporters in Blacksburg, home of Virginia Tech.

The Intercept: In a wide-ranging interview, [Delegate Bob Marshall] doubled down on hardline right-wing positions on issues like Medicaid expansion and transgender rights… When asked about blocking a Medicaid expansion that could benefit 400,000 people, he was defensive, suggesting that it’s simply too expensive. “Tell me which school program or transportation program you want to cut? You tell me, then I’ll tell you whether I agree with you or not,” he said, suggesting that expanding Medicaid would mean cutting other things. When asked why the state can’t just fund both things, given that the federal government is taking the lion’s share of Medicaid funding, he simply responded that it’s the same tax dollars. We followed up by asking about people who don’t receive care because they can’t afford it. “Excuse me, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Anybody can get emergency care at any hospital which services Medicaid, that’s a federal law,” he responded. We followed up once more, pointing out that people are going bankrupt from health care bills and that you can’t treat a long-term chronic condition through emergency room visits. “You are of an era that the only answers are coupled to federal money,” he said, pointing at us. But it appears that his era just ended.”

Politico: In his victory speech to supporters at Convention Hall in Asbury Park, Murphy tied his win to a backlash against the Trump administration. “We will stand firm for New Jersey’s values and push back against the mean winds blowing at us from Washington D.C.,” Murphy said, decrying “mean-spirited actions to gut our health care.”

New Hampshire Public Radio: The two candidates more or less saw eye to eye on the issue — that is, except when it came to re-upping Medicaid expansion. When asked by host Laura Knoy whether she’d advocate for keeping the state’s Medicaid Expansion program going, Craig replied, “absolutely,” saying it was crucial to addressing the drug epidemic. Gatsas on the other hand — said he wanted to wait to see what state lawmakers would do.

WMUR: Manchester voters have decided that the city will have its first-ever woman mayor in January, when Mayor-elect Joyce Craig takes the oath of office. The former alderman and school board member ousted four-term Mayor Ted Gatsas on Tuesday, winning nine of the city’s 12 wards.

Florida Politics: “Make no mistake, there is a fight in Washington D.C. about the future of health care,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. The mayor, facing a reelection election tomorrow that is too close to call, used the opportunity to tout his Healthy St. Pete initiative, which has been led by Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin.

WTSP: Rick Kriseman defeated Rick Baker with 51 percent of the vote to earn a second term as mayor.

AP: The referendum represents the first time since the law took effect that the question of expansion had been put in front of U.S. voters… This may not be the last state vote. Backers of Medicaid expansion in Idaho and Utah have started similar efforts to get the question on the 2018 ballots in their own states.

Sean England
In Uncategorized

Protect Our Care Blasts the Trump Administration’s Medicaid Changes as Offensive, Harmful and…

CMS’s New Criteria for State Changes to Medicaid will Deny Coverage to Hundreds of Thousands of Americans

Washington, D.C. — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today new criteria for considering requests from states to make changes to their Medicaid programs, dropping the previous requirement that such changes must “increase and strengthen” health coverage for low-income Americans and instead encouraging proposals that place new hurdles to coverage like drug tests and work requirements. CMS Administrator Seema Verma, whose agency’s mission is to help Americans access health coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and the Health Insurance Marketplace, said in a statement that the goal of covering more people is a “hollow victory of numbers.” This, despite the fact that on its own website homepage CMS promotes that it’s efforts cover 100 million Americans.

Protect Our Care Campaign Director Brad Woodhouse blasted the changes and Verma’s offensive comparison of people gaining access to health care with “hollow” “numbers.”

“The Trump Administration has once again shown that it will stop at nothing in its zeal to sabotage American health care even if it means harming hundreds of thousands of people and resorting to offensive, right-wing stereotypes about low-income Americans in the process,” said Woodhouse. “CMS is supposed to help people get health coverage, but today it offensively called coverage goals a ‘hollow victory of numbers,’ an Orwellian statement from the agency charged with administering Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and the Health Insurance Marketplace. These changes are shameful, harmful and wreak of the kind of right-wing rhetoric and policy choices that for decades have demeaned and stereotyped people who need health care but can’t afford it. Hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose coverage as a result of these changes — not because they don’t need, deserve or qualify, but because Donald Trump and Republicans want a talking point for their right-wing base. They should be ashamed.”

These changes are the opposite of the message Americans sent to Congress in defeating one effort after another to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which was to improve and expand coverage rather than repeal it. Republican efforts to slash Medicaid and end Medicaid expansion were especially unpopular as countless Americans shared stories of how important access to Medicaid was to them and their families.

Sean England
In Uncategorized

Response to Paul Ryan’s Announcement That Health Care Repeal May Be Part of GOP Tax Plan

On Fox News Sunday, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Republicans are considering health care repeal as part of their tax plan currently being debated in Congress. Just yesterday, in the New York Times, GOP Senator Susan Collins warned Republicans not to try to repeal health care as part of the tax debate. Protect Our Care Campaign Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement in response:

“Really?” said Woodhouse. “The American people have repeatedly rejected the idea of repealing health care, and they hate it even more if it’s just used to pay for more tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. Even GOP Senators oppose using the tax plan as a backdoor way to repeal health care, but that’s not stopping some Republicans — including apparently Speaker Ryan — from suggesting it so they can keep President Trump happy. Doing this would increase the number of uninsured by 15 million and raise premiums twenty percent to give a high-income tax cut to the wealthy. It’s time to move on.”

Sean England
In Uncategorized

GOP Tax Bill Will Raise Costs for Middle-Class Families And Could Result In 15 Million Fewer People…

Having repeatedly failed to repeal health care, President Trump and Republicans in Congress want to use their tax cut bill to try again. Republicans proposed paying for their huge tax cut for the rich in part by eliminating a tax deduction for people with high medical costs. In addition, there are talks of repealing the individual responsibility provision in the Affordable Care Act as another way to pay for these tax cuts. Repealing these two provisions would adversely impact people who need health care the most and raise costs on everyone. Here is the impact of the GOP’s latest effort to repeal health care:

  • 15 million more uninsured. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that repealing the individual responsibility provision would result in 15 million more people uninsured.
  • 20 percent higher premiums. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated repealing the individual responsibility provision would raise premiums 20 percent next year.
  • Higher costs for seniors in long-term care. The House GOP bill eliminates a tax deduction for people with costly health care bills, including long-term care.
  • Higher costs for people with pre-existing conditions. Repealing the individual responsibility provision would lead to the so-called “death spiral” in the individual market. In other words, younger and healthier people would not sign up for coverage, making coverage more expensive for older and sicker people.
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