Trump and Republicans are Destroying, Dismantling and Defunding the ACA and Threatening to Gut Protections for Over 130 Million Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions. Despite Trump’s Sabotage, ACA Still Provides High-Quality, Affordable Care and Most People Who Enroll Now Can Receive Financial Assistance.
Washington, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released a report detailing the numerous actions that the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans have taken to rip away health care coverage for millions of hard working Americans. The report sheds light on how their egregious actions are an attempt to destroy, dismantle and defund the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Since it was signed into law, the ACA has helped millions of families and individuals gain and maintain health care coverage. The ACA also provides critical consumer protections for people with pre-existing conditions, allows young adults to remain on their parents’ health insurance until age 26 and ensures that preventive health care visits are free.
“Since the Affordable Care Act became law, the health care landscape has been changed for the better. It put consumers in the driver’s seat, limited out-of-pocket spending and prohibited discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions,” said Senator Casey. “We must stand up to the efforts of President Trump and Republicans to destroy the law in the courts, dismantle the law through administrative sabotage and defund the law through extreme budget cuts. The American people deserve better.”
Since the ACA became law, the number of uninsured Americans has fallen drastically, and all Americans have gained important consumer protections. In 2017, the percentage of people without coverage fell to a record low of 8.8 percent, and the over 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions can no longer be discriminated against by insurers. However, the Trump Administration’s refusal to defend the law in the courts could wreak havoc on health care for almost every American. Further, President Trump’s ACA sabotage has eroded the progress we have made. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans without health insurance in 2018 increased by nearly two million people. And the President’s budget would eliminate Medicaid expansion in 36 states, leaving 12 million people, including 680,000 Pennsylvanians, without coverage.
In his report, Senator Casey emphasized three key threats to the ACA. Those threats involve Republicans’ efforts to:
- Destroy the ACA through the Texas v. United States lawsuit
- Dismantle the ACA through administrative sabotage, including executive actions that slash funding and shrink consumer protections
- Defund the ACA through budget cuts, targeting Medicaid and Medicare
Despite the Trump Administration’s continued attempts to undermine the law, the health insurance marketplaces remain open for business, offering consumers a choice of plans and also financial assistance. The best way to fight back against the ongoing sabotage is to make sure that everyone who needs health insurance goes to www.HealthCare.Gov during Open Enrollment, which runs through December 15. Open Enrollment gives all individuals who need health insurance the opportunity to select the plan that meets their needs. Pennsylvanians who need health insurance should log on to www.HealthCare.Gov to choose a plan by December 15.
Read the report here.
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