Washington, D.C. – Today, Trump is traveling to Michigan to distract working families from the health care disaster he created, speaking at a General Motors facility with Rep. John James (R-MI-10). One year ago, Rep. James served as a key vote to pass Donald Trump’s health care cuts, slashing over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. On top of that, Republicans ripped away the health care tax credits that over 22 million Americans relied on to see a doctor. Now, over 8 million Americans, including over 230,000 Michiganders — and counting — have lost the coverage they relied on, and families across Michigan are being crushed by soaring health care costs. Michiganders are rationing their medication, pushing back doctor’s visits, and skipping meals to hang on to their health care. Already, over 150,000 Michiganders have been priced off their ACA coverage, 19 hospitals, clinics, and other critical providers face cuts, closure, or are at risk of doing so, and the damage will continue to mount.
See below for a statement from Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse:
“Donald Trump and Rep. John James can lie all they want, but Michiganders know the truth because they’re living it every day. They’ve watched their monthly premiums skyrocket. They’ve seen the local hospitals and providers make cuts or close their doors. They’ve felt how impossible it is to make ends meet. Let’s be very clear: this health care crisis was a choice, not a coincidence. It was Republicans’ choice to make the largest health care cuts in history. It was Republicans’ choice to put billionaires ahead of working families. But in November, Michiganders get to make a choice of their own, and they won’t forget the hurt that Republicans like Rep. John James have caused.”
Michiganders Are Choosing Between Paying More or Foregoing Health Care Coverage
- An estimated 232,544 Michiganders have already lost their Medicaid, CHIP, or ACA coverage after Republicans gutted health care.
- 390,000 Michiganders total are anticipated to lose their health care between 2025 and 2034.
- Premiums for Michiganders receiving ACA tax credits increased by an average of 30% this year:
- A 45-year-old in Michigan making $64,000 saw their average annual premium costs rise by $1,678 to hit $7,118 this year.
- A 60-year-old couple in Michigan making $85,000 saw their average annual premium costs rise by $19,533 to hit $26,758 this year.
- A family of four in Michigan making $130,000 saw their average annual premium costs rise by $9,092 to hit $20,142 this year.
- Now, thanks to Republicans gutting the premium tax credits and hiking Michiganders’ premiums, providers in Michigan will face a 7.3% spike in uncompensated care demand.
- Michigan hospitals alone are expected to lose nearly just under $28.4 billion annually. 19 Michigan health care providers are at-risk, announced cuts, are closing, or have closed.
Who Are the Michiganders Caught in the GOP Health Care Crisis?
Tim and Gina Abbas, Detroit
For Tim and Gina Abbas from Detroit, coverage under the Affordable Care Act has been a lifeline. After Tim’s brain tumor progressed to grade four, his plan allowed him to access a crucial clinical trial at an out-of-state hospital. But now that enhanced premium tax credits have expired, they can no longer afford that lifeline.
“‘(Tim) said, ‘What if I just stop getting care?’ He eventually will be on Medicare, but that’s not until August. He’s like, ‘I’ll just wait until August.’ (Tim) can’t do that. He won’t be alive,” said Gina Abbas, Tim’s wife.
Tim and Gina are not alone. Countless more families in the cancer community are being forced to make impossible choices like “being able to pay [their] mortgage or keeping [their] loved one alive” [ClickOn Detroit]
Rebecca Perrin, Grand Rapids
Rebecca Perrin is one of the thousands of Michiganders who were priced off their coverage after enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025.
“Other, more affordable plans weren’t accepted by her doctor. That’s why she believes her only option is to go without health insurance. ‘I work full-time,’ said Perrin. ‘I’m actually looking for a second job, and then I fear I’m gonna burn out and end up with a hospital bill. It just seems like a lose-lose.’”
“‘We need to fix this now,’ she said. ‘What if I have to have surgery? What if I break a bone? What if I need a specialist of some kind? It’s scary. It makes you not want to leave your house.’” [WZZM]
Sharon Dunham, Grand Rapids
“Sharon Dunham, 63, who twice survived cancer and has health conditions including irritable bowel syndrome, opted to go without insurance this year when she learned that the monthly bill for her ACA plan would grow to about $980, after losing the subsidy that held her payments to about $614 a month in 2025.”
“Dunham, who lives in Grand Rapids, Mich., is trying to save money and pay out of pocket for needed tests and doctor visits until she turns 65 and gets Medicare. ‘It is definitely terrifying,’ particularly the thought that her cancer might recur, she said. ‘There’s the very real possibility that I can’t do anything if it shows up,’ she added.” [Wall Street Journal]