Trump

As the fallout from President Trump’s decision to cancel cost-sharing reduction fundingcontinues, states are forced to make needless increases in out-of-pocket costs to compensate. And people are beginging to notice.

From Alaska, where premiums slated to drop are now rising, to Pennsylvania, where rates are going up an obscene 30 percent, the consequences have been significant and will only continue to grow. Instead of fixing the problem, Republicans in Congress continue to bottleneck the bipartisan Alexander-Murray health care stabilization which would restore the funding and stop the hikes. And every day they wait to get on board, Trump and his repeal-at-all-costs Republican allies will own more headlines like these:

Alaska — Alaska Public Media: Premera to bump up premium to cover Trump cut

Arizona — AZ Family: Arizonans worry about rising health insurance rates after Trump’s decision to pull Obamacare subsidies

Arizona — Cronkite News: Cancer survivor says Trump plan sabotages health insurance coverage

Arkansas — Arkansas Online: Double-digit increases OK’d for Arkansas’ health plans after subsidy paid to insurers ends

Colorado — The Denver Channel: Colorado premiums will rise by 6% on top of existing hikes after Trump ends CSR subsidy payments

Iowa — KCRG: As ACA sign up approaches, some fear much higher rates and less help

Kansas — KMBZ: Healthcare options likely to dwindle as government cuts off subsidies

Louisiana — The Advocate: With federal payments to health insurers in limbo, Louisianans brace for premium hikes and Congress mulls action

Louisiana — Fox 8: Expert: Executive order could disproportionately affect Louisianans

Maine — Sun Journal: Maine premiums expected to rise after ACA subsidies end

Missouri — St. Louis Public Radio: Trump’s decisions on health care likely to drive up rates in Missouri, experts say

Nevada — News 4: No immediate impacts from healthcare changes, but NV official fears long-term consequences

North Carolina — WRAL: Trump’s move prompts 14 percent rate increase on Blue Cross ACA plans

Ohio — Times Gazette: Subsidy cuts will raise rates for Obamacare exchange plans

Ohio — WYSO: End To Insurance Subsidies Sparks Concern Over Spike In Next Year’s Health Care Costs

Pennsylvania — Philly Voice: Trump cuts to drive up Obamacare premiums in Pennsylvania by 30 percent

South Carolina — Charleston Post and Courier: Anticipating Trump’s order, South Carolina’s sole Obamacare insurer already planned ‘tremendous’ hike

Tennessee — Fox 17: Tennesseans concerned about cost amid new executive order on healthcare

Tennessee — Nogga.com: Uncertainty in federal government means BCBST rate increase

West Virginia — Metro News: Highmark president says subsidy uncertainty helped drive exchange rate increases

In response to the news of a bipartisan health care agreement, Protect Our Care Campaign Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement:

In response to the news of a bipartisan health care agreement, Protect Our Care Campaign Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement:

“For the last ten months, President Trump and Republicans in Congress have relentlessly pursued an agenda of partisan repeal and sabotage. The result has been higher premiums, significant threats to the insurance markets and the undermining of open enrollment.

“The American people have been hungry for Republicans and Democrats to come together in a bipartisan way to stabilize the market and ensure the American people have affordable access to health care. While we still need to review the details, the reported Alexander-Murray bill is an important bipartisan first step, and we thank them for their work.

“Now Congress needs to move immediately to pass this agreement, without any amendments that weaken the progress that has been made. The only viable path forward on health care is a bipartisan one. It’s time for President Trump and Republicans to abandon partisan repeal and their deliberate sabotage of health care.”

New campaign calls on members of Congress to stand up to Trump’s attempts to sabotage our health care.

Newly-released report shows 26 of 35 states that have released rate information attribute rate increases to uncertainty created by the Trump administration.

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 17, 2017 — Protect Our Care today announced a national campaign to stop President Trump and Congressional Republicans from sabotaging our health care. After failing to pass a series of disastrous health care repeal bills this year, President Trump is determined to achieve repeal by taking administrative action to undermine the current law and open enrollment. Trump’s actions will raise health care premiums, deny access to health care for millions of Americans and significantly threaten the collapse of the individual insurance market. It’s time for Republicans in Congress to stand up to sabotage and protect health care for millions of Americans.

In his latest act of sabotage, President Trump cancelled cost-sharing reduction (CSRs) funds which keep out-of-pocket costs low for millions of Americans. The decision has thrown the individual insurance market into further chaos and, according to the Congressional Budget Office, will result in coverage losses and premiums soaring by 20 percent next year, and will spike the national debt by nearly $200 billion by 2026.

The American people have overwhelmingly rejected health care repeal and made it clear they want Congress and the Trump Administration to work across party lines to keep what works and fix what doesn’t in the Affordable Care Act. Now is the time for Republicans to stand up to Trump’s sabotage and work to improve health care for millions of Americans. If not, they will own all the consequences of higher premiums and worse coverage.

“President Trump has made it clear he will do everything he can to sabotage our health care. The President’s repeated and blatant acts of sabotage are deliberately undermining the law, and will destroy the health and financial security of millions of people,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “It is high time Republicans in Congress stand up to this sabotage and they should start by immediately restoring funding for CSRs and open enrollment. We are launching this campaign and taking our message all across the country because sabotaging our health care out of spite is wrong and must be stopped.”

As part of the campaign, Protect Our Care unveiled a new website, StandUpToSabotage.com; released a newly-updated report that shows that the vast majority of states attribute health insurance rate increases to the Trump Administration’s sabotage; and announced a pledge that people can use with Members of Congress to drive the point home that they must take action in Congress to stand up to sabotage. So far this week, the campaign has 17 events scheduled in eight states across the country. A full calendar of events can be found below.

Events in States

So far this week, there are 17 events scheduled in eight states.

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This afternoon during a brief statement before the start of his cabinet meeting, President Trump “spoke” about health care. In just two minutes, he lied no less than six times. Don’t believe us? Take a look for yourself…

PRESIDENT TRUMP CLAIMS VOTERS WILL BLAME DEMOCRATS FOR THEIR QUALMS WITH THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

PRESIDENT TRUMP, IF IT WASN’T CLEAR BEFORE, IT IS NOW: YOU AND REPUBLICANS OWN THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA): “President Trump Is The President. He Is A Republican. And We Control The Congress. We Own The System Now. So We Are Going To Have To Figure Out A Way To Stabilize This Situation.” “‘I am fearful now that the President made this announcement that will destabilize the insurance markets, it will raise premiums for a lot of folks,’ Dent said Friday morning on CNN, adding that it could also cause some Americans to lose their health insurance and prompt insurers to leave the Obamacare marketplace. Dent argued that the Republican Party ‘will own this,” and said that the administration’s move will force Congress to act quickly to pass legislation in order to make cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments. ‘President Trump is the President. He is a Republican. And we control the Congress. We own the system now. So we are going to have to figure out a way to stabilize this situation,’ Dent told CNN. “Barack Obama is no longer in the equation. So this is on us. And so I believe his action will force us to enter into some kind of bipartisan agreement on the cost-sharing reduction payments.” [TPM, 10/13/17]

Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY): “If We Stay Where We Are And Do Nothing, I Think This Is Going To Be A Pox On All Of Our Houses.” “Representative Tom Reed, Republican of New York and co-chairman of a bipartisan group of lawmakers called the Problem Solvers Caucus, said Mr. Trump’s decision ‘increased the stakes’ for Congress. More than two months ago, Mr. Reed’s group offered a series of proposals to shore up insurance markets, including funding the subsidies. ‘It’s only going to get worse as this marketplace continues to destabilize,’ Mr. Reed said. ‘If we stay where we are and do nothing, I think this is going to be a pox on all of our houses.’” [New York Times, 10/13/17]

“The Pottery Barn Rule Comes To Mind: You Break It, You Own It.” “This is not ‘letting’ Obamacare fail. Many nonpartisan experts believe that these active measures are likely to undermine the pillars of the 2010 law and hasten the collapse of the marketplaces. The Pottery Barn rule comes to mind: You break it, you own it. Yes, the plate you just shattered had some cracks in it. But if you dropped it on the ground, the store is going to blame you.” [Washington Post, 10/13/17]

“Trump’s Not Going To Be Able To Avoid Blame For Kneecapping Obamacare.” [Washington Post, 10/13/17]

“After Months Of Pinning The Blame For Obamacare’s Shortcomings On Democrats And Watching His Own Party Fail To Act, President Donald Trump Just Took Ownership Of A Struggle That’s Consumed Republicans For Seven Years.” “After months of pinning the blame for Obamacare’s shortcomings on Democrats and watching his own party fail to act, President Donald Trump just took ownership of a struggle that’s consumed Republicans for seven years. Trump’s decision late Thursday to end government subsidies to insurers to help lower-income Americans afford to use their coverage under the Affordable Care Act was the most drastic step he’s taken to undermine his predecessor’s signature achievement. It also lobbed a live bomb into the laps of Republicans lawmakers 13 months before congressional elections after he publicly berated the party’s Senate leadership for being unable to keep a longstanding promise to repeal the law.” [Bloomberg, 10/13/17]

PRESIDENT TRUMP CLAIMED HIS DECISION TO CUT OFF CSR PAYMENTS IS THE REASON REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE WORKING TOGETHER

HOWEVER, JUST LAST MONTH, THE WHITE HOUSE CALLED OFF A BIPARTISAN NEGOTIATION BETWEEN SENATE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS

“House Speaker Paul Ryan And The White House Have Informed Senate Republican Leaders That They Oppose A Bipartisan Plan To Stabilize Obamacare Being Written In The Senate.” “House Speaker Paul Ryan and the White House have informed Senate Republican leaders that they oppose a bipartisan plan to stabilize Obamacare being written in the Senate, according to Trump administration and congressional sources, in a clear bid to boost the Senate’s prospects of repealing the health law.” [Politico, 9/19/17]

“President Donald Trump Will Oppose Any Congressional Attempts To Reinstate Funding For Obamacare Subsidies.” [Politico, 10/13/17]

PRESIDENT TRUMP CLAIMS HE WANTS TO HELP MORE PEOPLE

HIS DECISION WILL RESULT IN ONE MILLION PEOPLE LOSING COVERAGE NEXT YEAR AND PREMIUMS RISING — ALL WHILE INCREASING THE FEDERAL DEFICIT

Congressional Budget Office: One Million People Will Lose Coverage In 2018 If CSR Payments Are Halted. [CBO, 8/15/17]

Congressional Budget Office: Average Premiums Would Rise By 20 Percent Next Year, And Would Remain 25 Percent Higher Than They Would Be If CSRs Were Paid In 2020 And Beyond. “Under this policy, average premiums for the second-lowest-cost silver plan offered through the marketplaces for single policyholders would be about 20 percent higher in 2018 than the premiums projected in CBO’s March 2016 baseline, mainly because gross premiums alone, rather than premiums in combination with CSR payments, would have to cover the insurer’s share of enrollees’ health care costs. In 2020 and subsequent years, by CBO and JCT’s estimates, the premiums for such benchmark plans would be about 25 percent higher than under the baseline.” [CBO, 8/15/17]

Congressional Budget Office: Failure To Make CSR Payments Will Increase The Federal Deficit By Nearly $200 Billion. “CBO and JCT estimate that, on net, adopting this policy would increase the federal deficit by a total of $194 billion over the 2017–2026 period.” [CBO, 8/15/17]

PRESIDENT TRUMP CLAIMS VOTERS WILL BLAME DEMOCRATS FOR RISING PREMIUMS

HOWEVER, VOTERS KNOW THAT WHILE PRESIDENT TRUMP AND REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO REPEAL THE HEALTH CARE LAW, THEY HAVE BEEN DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO SABOTAGE THE MARKETPLACE

• President Trump defunded the law’s mandatory cost-sharing-reduction payments, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget office said would increase rates by 20% in 2018 and 25% in 2020.
• Cut 90% of the resources to support open enrollment.
• President Trump signed an Executive Order on his first day in office demanding that agencies dismantle as much of the law as they can.
• President Trump Signed an Executive Order to create garbage insurance plans which will raise premiums, slash coverage and end protections for those with pre-existing conditions.
• Pursued partisan repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which has created uncertainty in the market and led to higher premiums.

Now people are facing the consequences.

PRESIDENT TRUMP CLAIMS COST-SHARING REDUCTION (CSR) FUNDS CONTRIBUTE TO INSURANCE COMPANY PROFITS

ACTUALLY, CSR PAYMENTS ARE USED TO REIMBURSE ISSUERS WHO ASSIST CERTAIN MARKETPLACE ENROLLEES WITH THEIR OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS

Kaiser Family Foundation: “The ACA Requires Insurers To Offer Plans With Reduced Patient Cost-Sharing…To Compensate For The Added Cost To Insurers Of The Reduced Cost-Sharing, The Federal Government Makes Payments Directly To Insurance Companies.” “The ACA requires insurers to offer plans with reduced patient cost-sharing (e.g., deductibles and copays) to marketplace enrollees with incomes 100–250% of the poverty level. The reduced cost-sharing is only available in silver-level plans, and the premiums are the same as standard silver plans. To compensate for the added cost to insurers of the reduced cost-sharing, the federal government makes payments directly to insurance companies…If the CSR payments end…insurers would face significant revenue shortfalls this year and next.” [KFF, 4/25/17]

PRESIDENT TRUMP CLAIMS VOTERS SUPPORT REPUBLICAN PLANS TO REPEAL HEALTH CARE

HOWEVER, POLLING OVERWHELMINGLY SHOWS THAT PEOPLE WANT DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS TO COME TOGETHER AND OFFER COMMON SENSE FIXES, NOT A PARTISAN HEALTH CARE REPEAL BILL

“A Whopping 71 Percent Of Americans Said They’d Rather See Trump Doing Everything He Possibly Could To Make Health Insurance Exchanges That Are Currently In Place Under Obamacare Work.” “A new poll conducted by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation released on Friday found 66 percent of Americans thought it was more important for Trump and Congress to work on legislation that would stabilize the current marketplaces opposed to continuing efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. Although more Democrats (85 percent) wanted Trump to work on stabilizing Obamacare than Republicans (51 percent), a whopping 71 percent of Americans said they’d rather see Trump doing everything he possibly could to make health insurance exchanges that are currently in place under Obamacare work. Only 21 percent of adults agreed that Trump should let the law fail in an attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare.” [Newsweek, 10/14/17]

“Every Single Poll…Found Opposition Outweighing Support By More Than 20 Percentage Points.” “On average, 55 percent of Americans opposed the GOP proposals to replace Obamacare while 22 percent supported them, according to an average of health-care polls tracked by PollingReport, which we compiled starting in March. Negative reactions to Republican repeal efforts have been strikingly consistent. Polls have asked about GOP proposals using a wide range of wordings, but every single poll tracked by the PollingReport found opposition outweighing support by more than 20 percentage points. Web-based polls not tracked by PollingReport found narrower margins, though support has consistently trailed opposition.” [Washington Post, 7/28/17]

“61 Percent Of Respondents Want Obamacare Fixed Instead Of Repealed And Replaced.” “A majority of Americans wants lawmakers to keep and fix ObamaCare rather than replace it with a Republican alternative, according to a new poll. The ABC/Washington Post poll found that 61 percent of respondents want ObamaCare fixed instead of repealed and replaced. Seventy-nine percent said President Trump should make ObamaCare work instead of letting it fail, as he has previously threatened.” [The Hill, 4/25/17]

“The Republican Health Care Effort Is The Most Unpopular Legislation In Three Decades.” “The Republican health care effort is the most unpopular legislation in three decades — less popular than the Affordable Care Act when it was passed, the widely hated Troubled Asset Relief Program bank bailout bill in 2008, and even President Bill Clinton’s failed health reform effort in the 1990s. That’s the verdict from MIT’s Chris Warshaw, who compiled polling data from the Roper Center on major legislation Congress has passed since 1990.” [Axios, 7/7/17]