Yesterday, Vice President JD Vance visited Texas to try and boost Attorney General Ken Paxton, just days after new reporting revealed that Paxton was spotted this spring partying with health care fraud fugitives in Dubai. While Trump and his allies are ripping away health care from millions of families under the guise of fraud, it’s clear they have never actually cared about stopping health care fraud. Over the course of his two terms, Trump has pardoned over a dozen health care fraudsters who cost the government and taxpayers billions. One of his biggest allies in Congress, Senator Rick Scott was the CEO behind one of the biggest health care fraud schemes in history. It’s no surprise that Trump and Vance are more than happy to support yet another man associated with health care fraudsters. No amount of campaigning can erase the damage that Trump and Republicans’ health care record has imposed on Texans. While Trump and Republicans boost Paxton, Texas families are stuck dealing with rising premiums, lost coverage, and the fallout from GOP health care cuts.
BACKGROUND
- Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton even after discovering that Paxton had been spotted partying in Dubai with health care fraud fugitives:
- On New Year’s Eve 2024, Paxton partied in Dubai with two Americans who had been indicted months before on federal health care-fraud charges but failed to return to the U.S.
- The two fugitives had been indicted in federal court on charges that they embezzled $15 million from a Chicago hospital.
- One of the indicted men, Anosh Ahmed, is a former health care executive who donated $190,000 to Paxton — including $25,000 days after his indictment. He was later charged in a larger scheme that involved the theft of at least $195 million from the government for fraudulent COVID-19 tests.
- Trump claims he cares about fraud, but he has pardoned 70+ fraudsters during his time in office, including countless donors, allies, and celebrities.
- Trump has already pardoned over a dozen health care fraudsters, who collectively defrauded the federal government of $2 billion in taxpayer money.
- Trump’s co-conspirator in ripping away the ACA tax credits from millions, Senator Rick Scott, was the CEO behind one of the biggest health care fraud schemes in history.
BY THE NUMBERS: Texans Choose Between Paying More Or Foregoing Health Care Coverage
- An estimated 424,286 Texans have already lost the Medicaid, CHIP, or ACA coverage they counted on to see a doctor after Republicans gutted health care.
- 1,400,000 Texans in total are anticipated to become uninsured between 2025 and 2034.
- Premiums for Texans who counted on the health tax credits Republicans gutted increased by an average of 289% this year:
- A 45-year-old in Texas making $64,000 saw their average annual premium costs rise by $3,522 to hit $8,962 this year.
- A 60-year-old couple in Texas making $85,000 saw their average annual premium costs rise by $26,464 to hit $33,689 this year.
- A family of four in Texas making $130,000 saw their average annual premium costs rise by $14,310 to hit $25,360 this year.
- Republican health care cuts impact everyone, no matter where they get their coverage. The 14.5+ million Texans with employer-sponsored health insurance are staring down a double-digit cost hike for 2027, with employers projecting health plan costs to rise 11.1% nationwide next year and major companies are already considering changes to their 2027 health benefits to offset rising plan costs.
- Hospital systems nationwide are already reporting a surge in uninsured patients after Republicans ripped away health tax credits. Texas hospitals and clinics are facing a $10.2 billion loss in funding and a 22.4% spike in uncompensated care demand that will affect their ability to keep their doors open.
- Texas hospitals alone are also expected to lose $20.6 billion over the next decade due to GOP Medicaid cuts. As of late September, 34 Texas health care providers are at-risk, announced cuts, are closing, or have closed.