Washington, DC — President Trump’s rally in Toledo, Ohio tonight comes on the heels of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ disastrous decision on Texas v. United States, the lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Ahead of Trump’s rally, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement:
“Ohioans probably won’t hear anything from President Trump about his disastrous lawsuit to rip apart our health care law during his rally tonight. If ultimately successful, President Trump’s Texas lawsuit would take coverage away from 20 million Americans including nearly 750,000 Ohioans, increase prescription drug costs, put access to treatment for people with opioid use disorder in jeopardy and strip protections from nearly 5 million Ohioans with a pre-existing condition. Despite escalating tensions in the Middle East and the looming impeachment trial in the Senate, Americans haven’t lost sight of the fact that President Trump is hellbent on ripping away their health care.”
BACKGROUND:
If Trump Gets His Way, Ohioans Would Lose Their Coverage
- 741,000 Ohioans could lose coverage. According to the Urban Institute, 741,000 Ohioans would lose coverage by repealing the Affordable Care Act, leading to a 105 percent increase in the uninsured rate.
- 81,000 Ohio 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.
- 51,000 Ohio 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.
- 26,400 Ohio Latinos could lose coverage. The percentage of people gaining health insurance under the ACA was higher for Latinos than for any other racial or ethnic group in the country. According to a study from Families USA, 5.4 million Latinos nationwide would lose coverage if the lawsuit succeeds in overturning the ACA.
- Ohioans would lose important federal health care funding — an estimated reduction of $4.4 billion in the first year. The Urban Institute estimates that a full repeal of the ACA would reduce federal spending on Ohioans’ Medicaid/CHIP care and Marketplace subsidies by $4.4 billion.
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
- 4,803,700 Ohioans have a pre-existing condition, including 620,600 Ohio children, 2,394,000 Ohio women, and 1,219,200 Ohioans between ages 55 and 64.
If Trump Gets His Way, Insurance Companies Would Have The Power To Charge You More, While Their Profits Soar
- 5,240,575 Ohioans 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. This includes nearly 5,240,575 Ohioans, most of whom have employer coverage.
- 151,026 Ohioans 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 151,026 in Ohio.
- 214,388 Ohio 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 Ohio, 214,388 seniors each saved an average of $$1,103.
- Reinstate Lifetime and Annual Limits On 4,154,000 Privately Insured Ohioans. Repealing the Affordable Care Act means insurance companies would be able to impose annual and lifetime limits on coverage for those insured through their employer or on the individual market.
If Trump Gets His Way, Medicaid Expansion Would Be Repealed
- 717,100 Ohioans Enrolled Through Medicaid Expansion Could Lose Coverage. Seventeen million people have coverage through the expanded Medicaid program, including 717,100 in Ohio.
- 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 Ohio hospitals with $1.9 billion more in uncompensated care.