Skip to main content
Category

News

ashoup
In News

NEW: Protect Our Care Hosts Day of Action on Capitol Hill Featuring Mobile Billboard, Digital Ad Campaign, and Report Distribution on How RFK Jr. is a Threat to Americans’ Health

Protect Our Care Launches Mobile Billboard on Capitol Hill and Delivers Report to All 100 U.S. Senators 

Watch the Mobile Billboard Here.

Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, January 8, Protect Our Care is launching a mobile billboard that will circle the Capitol from 8 AM to 4 PM slamming Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s visit to Samoa in 2019, where his anti-vaccination conspiracy theories led to deadly consequences. The video accompanying the mobile billboard will also be used in a digital advertising campaign in key states of Republican Senators, including those who serve on key committees considering his nomination and those who have expressed concern regarding his opposition to vaccines.

Protect Our Care will also distribute its report on RFK Jr.’s deadly visit to Samoa to all 100 Senate offices on Capitol Hill. Activists will be fanning out across Capitol Hill to distribute the report and buttonhole Senators and staff to highlight the deadly consequences of putting RFK Jr. in charge of American health care.

The report, digital ad campaign and mobile billboard come as Hawaii Governor Josh Green meets with senators to raise awareness of RFK Jr.’s role in a devastating measles outbreak in Samoa. In 2019, Governor Green, a physician and at the time Hawaii’s Lt. Governor, visited Samoa in the aftermath to help vaccinate over 37,000 people. He saw firsthand how RFK Jr.’s vaccine misinformation contributed to the deaths of 83 people, mostly children, which he described in detail in a New York Times opinion piece this week.

Protect Our Care is calling on senators to oppose RFK Jr.’s nomination as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This report and mobile billboard are part of Protect Our Care’s “Stop RFK War Room” campaign to educate people on why RFK Jr. is unfit for the job and the insurmountable damage he could do if confirmed.

“RFK Jr.’s deadly visit to Samoa is a preview of what would come if he takes the reins of America’s public health care system,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Dangerous conspiracy theories have devastating consequences. RFK Jr. has a long track record of peddling costly lies – he believes no vaccine is safe or effective and has pledged to stop funding research for treatments and cures to deadly diseases. His past attacks on public health and continued refusal to accept responsibility for the lives lost in Samoa are among the many reasons why RFK Jr. is deeply unqualified and unfit to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.”

Mobile Billboard/Digital Ad Script:

Narrator: Robert F Kennedy Jr. is no health care leader. He’s a threat to your family’s health. RFK Jr. spreads deadly lies about vaccines, calling them unsafe and ineffective. His conspiracy theories fueled a measles outbreak in Samoa, killing 83 people, mostly babies and toddlers.

CNN Clip: RFK went and rallied that country against vaccinations. It resulted in the deaths of 83 innocent children. 

Narrator: Now he’s been nominated to oversee America’s health care system – Medicare, Medicaid, vaccines, research. The health of every American is at stake. 

RFK Jr.: There’s no vaccine that is, you know, safe and effective. 

Narrator: He’d defund life-saving research and drug development, gut the FDA, let diseases like polio and measles resurge. This isn’t leadership. It’s a death sentence. Tell your Senators: reject RFK Jr. He’s not just unfit, he’s dangerous.

ashoup
In News

STATEMENT: MAGA Republicans Plot Devastating Medicaid Cuts Ahead of House Retreat

Republicans in Congress Want to Slash Health Care to Fund Tax Breaks for the Wealthiest Americans

Washington D.C. — House Republicans are preparing for a retreat this weekend to discuss a reconciliation bill that pushes their extreme priorities, including ripping away health care from millions of Americans. Trump and MAGA Republicans are plotting deep cuts to Medicaid in order to fund their outrageous tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. As a result, millions would lose coverage, including children, new moms, seniors, and people with disabilities. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement:

“Medicaid is on the chopping block. MAGA House Republicans are wasting no time as they plot to rip away health care from millions of Americans in order to fund tax breaks for their billionaire buddies. Trump and his GOP minions have made clear that they will put the richest one percent and big corporations ahead of everyday families. Their dangerous attacks on Medicaid are threatening a lifeline for over 75 million Americans, including kids, moms, seniors, people of color, rural Americans, and people with disabilities. We must do everything we can to protect affordable health care access and prevent MAGA Republicans from throwing our health care system into complete chaos.”

Background:

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: Republicans Threaten Deep Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare

ashoup
In News

FACT SHEET: RFK Jr. Is Completely Unqualified To Run The Department of Health and Human Services

In the wake of Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), he’s been on a whirlwind media tour attempting to convince the public that he’s up for the job. But Kennedy’s empty resumé makes it clear that he is utterly unqualified to run HHS. He has no medical training or expertise, no legitimate background in health care or public health and he lacks any notable organizational leadership or managerial experience. Furthermore, he’s managed fewer people than the average Walmart customer service manager. As a man who “do[es] not believe that infectious disease is an enormous threat to human health” and holds blatantly racist and antisemitic views on public health, RFK Jr. has absolutely no place in the halls of power – let alone at the helm of the country’s largest civilian agency employing over 80,000 employees and regulating a sector accounting for nearly a fifth of the national economy.

Kennedy Is Inexperienced and Completely Unqualified To Lead The Nation’s Largest Civilian Agency. Kennedy is utterly unqualified for the role of HHS Secretary. He has no relevant experience for this position, has never worked in government, and has never directed a large organization of any kind – not to mention the fact that Kennedy has no medical expertise. He is not a doctor, he does not have a medical degree or even a substantial amount of medical-related coursework under his belt. His undergraduate degree focused on American history and literature, and his postgraduate studies were dedicated to legal studies. His legal work experience focused on environmental law, not public health law. Kenndy only began wading into public health when he began his conspiratorial anti-vaccine advocacy in the early 2000s.

Kennedy’s Only Organizational Leadership Experience Involved Fewer Than 10 Staff Members. Kennedy has no analogous leadership experience and is wholly unprepared to lead the nation’s largest civilian agency. He has less than a decade of experience in his only leadership role, which is leading the anti-vaccine advocacy group Children’s Health Defense. The group lists fewer than ten staff members – compared to more than 80,000 employees of HHS across a diverse array of sub-agencies and departments. HHS oversees health care for the 163 million Americans enrolled in ACA Marketplace plans, Basic Health plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP – just under half of the U.S. population. The agency regulates the health care sector, which accounts for more than 17 percent of the U.S. economy. If Kennedy gets confirmed, American lives will be at risk. 

Kennedy’s Top Priority? Pausing All Research On Drug Development And Gutting The FDA. At a June 2024 town hall meeting Kennedy said, “I’m going to go to NIH my first week and I’m going to call all the division heads and I’m going to call all the bureau chiefs and I’m going to say, we’re going to give drug development and infectious disease a break. A little break, a little bit of a break for about eight years.” Kennedy has made the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of the world’s top medical research centers, a top target. These remarks echo what he told an anti-vaccine conference in November 2023, when he said, “I’m gonna say to NIH scientists, God bless you all. Thank you for [your] public service. We’re going to give infectious disease a break for about eight years.” Kennedy claims to have a list of 600 employees of the NIH that he plans to fire on day one. He wants to divert NIH funding away from drug research by devoting “half of research budgets” towards “alternative and holistic approaches to health.” Kennedy has also claimed that he will go after medical journals and redirect funding away from epidemiology, a practice that seeks to prevent and control the spread of disease. 

Kennedy, Who “Do[es] Not Believe That Infectious Disease Is An Enormous Threat To Human Health,” Has Vowed To Defund The National Institutes of Health and Infectious Disease Research. At a 2023 roundtable, Kennedy said he does “not believe that infectious disease is an enormous threat to human health.” He claimed that “medical research on these diseases and vaccine research has created some of the worst plagues in our history” and baselessly asserted that vaccine research was responsible for the creation of HIV, the Spanish flu, Lyme, and RSV. 

Just like the NIH, Kenndy has the FDA in his crosshairs. Kennedy has threatened to prosecute Dr. Anthony Fauci and claimed that he would eliminate “entire departments” and hundreds of employees at the FDA. During an event in October 2024, Kennedy also said he would fire every nutritional scientist at the FDA “on day 1,” claiming he would otherwise “ship them to a new HHS headquarters in Guam” if unable to fire them. He also wants to end fees for big pharmaceutical companies to send drugs to the FDA for approval – even though those fees pay for 75 percent of the agency’s budget. Before the 2024 election, Kennedy posted on social media, “FDA’s war on public health is about to end. This includes its aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can’t be patented by Pharma. If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags.” Likewise, nominated HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill has been critical of the FDA, once reportedly calling for the agency to approve drugs based only on safety concerns and to later determine their efficacy.

Kennedy’s Silence on Medicare, Medicaid, and The ACA Demonstrates His Lack of Fitness To Oversee Health Care For Over 160 Million Americans. Despite being nominated to run HHS, Kennedy has failed to take any position on America’s largest health care institutions: Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). HHS oversees health care for the 163 million Americans enrolled in ACA Marketplace plans, Basic Health plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP, or just under half of the U.S. population. 

Kennedy’s Blatantly Racist and Antisemitic Views on Public Health Have No Place Leading HHS. Kennedy has a long history of racism and antisemitism. He has frequently met with and promoted antisemites ranging from disgraced musicians like rapper Ice Cube to fringe online broadcasters and virulent antisemites. At a July 2023 dinner, Kennedy proposed that the COVID-19 virus may have been ethnically targeted to spare Jewish and Chinese people: “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.” After the speech went viral, neo-Nazis, holocaust deniers, and antisemites celebrated Kennedy’s conspiracy theory as “100% correct.” In November 2024, new reporting revealed that Kennedy embraced the possibility that the government manufactured the COVID-19 “plandemic,” declaring that the public health response was part of an “agenda that will enslave the entire human race.” Kennedy has also specifically targeted his anti-vaccine dogma at Black Americans. He pushed false claims about Black Americans supposedly being “particularly vulnerable to vaccine injuries including autism” during a 2017 measles outbreak devastating Minnesota’s Somali-American community. In a 2020 interview, Kennedy also asserted without evidence that “People with African blood react differently to vaccines than people with Caucasian blood. They’re much more sensitive.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also called the COVID-19 vaccine “a crime against humanity” and falsely claimed that it is the “deadliest vaccine ever made,” releasing a film promoting disproven claims about the dangers of vaccines and explicitly warning Black communities of “sinister” vaccination campaigns.

Brain Worms, Animal Carcasses, and Extramarital Affairs: Kennedy Is Unstable and Unfit to Hold Office. Kennedy has a long and well-documented history of erratic and bizarre behavior. In May 2024, Kennedy disclosed that in 2010 doctors found a dead parasitic worm in his brain, leading to brain fog and memory problems. In August 2024, Kennedy admitted to illegally nabbing roadkill, moving a bear cub’s carcass that was hit by a car in upstate New York to Central Park, and staging a bicycle accident. Federal law enforcement is also currently investigating RFK Jr. for cutting off the head of a dead whale and taking it home 20 years ago. Kennedy has a known history of extramarital affairs as well; this year alone, news broke of a sexting scandal with a reporter and four women came forward claiming to have been romantically involved with Kennedy.

ashoup
In News

HEADLINES: Biden Administration’s $2,000 Prescription Drug Cost Cap for Seniors Takes Effect

For far too long, seniors and hard-working families have been paying three to four times more for their prescription drugs than people in other countries. But President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats in Congress took on big drug companies and won. On January 1, the $2,000 out-of-pocket prescription drug cost cap, a major provision of the Inflation Reduction Act, took effect, saving nearly 19 million Americans an average of $400 each year. 

Despite widespread support from people across the country, the Inflation Reduction Act passed without a single Republican vote, and now they are working to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and its prescription drug savings. The Inflation Reduction Act is ensuring seniors can afford the care they need without sacrificing other basic needs like groceries, gas, and rent but Republicans are playing politics with seniors’ benefits. Across the country members of the Biden Administration, Congress, and news outlets highlighted the new savings available for seniors.

HEADLINES

CNN: Seniors Won’t Pay More Than $2,000 for Drugs at the Pharmacy Starting in January. 

  • “Before the law, there was no cap on what Medicare enrollees might have to spend on medications covered by their Part D drug plans. They were on the hook for 5% of their drugs’ cost in the so-called catastrophic coverage phase, which, in 2023, began when they hit $7,400 in out-of-pocket spending.”
  • “More than 3 million enrollees who do not receive Medicare’s low-income subsidy should benefit from the $2,000 cap, according to AARP. That figure will rise to more than 4 million in 2029. About 40% of beneficiaries who reach the limit between 2025 and 2029 will see an estimated annual savings of $1,000 or more.”

CBS: Medicare’s New $2,000 Prescription Drug Cap Goes Into Effect. Here’s How It Works. 

  • “The out-of-pocket cost cap could be a “game changer” for many seniors, Ryan Ramsey, the associate director of health coverage and benefits at the National Council on Aging (NCOA) told CBS MoneyWatch. In the first year of the cap, about 3.2 million Medicare recipients are likely to see lower costs due to the new rule, particularly seniors who take multiple medications or have high-cost prescriptions, according to an analysis from AARP.”

The Hill: Medicare’s New Drug Price Cap Kicks In Jan. 1.

  • “A key cost-saving provision of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) goes into effect in the new year, limiting annual out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs to $2,000 for Medicare beneficiaries. Starting on Jan. 1, 2025, an estimated 19 million Medicare beneficiaries will see their out-of-pocket Medicare Part D spending capped at $2,000 for the year. This annual cap will be indexed to the rate of inflation every year going forward. An interim spending cap of roughly $3,500 was put in place in 2024. According to an administration official, those with Medicare will save an average of $400 a year.”

Fox43: What to Know About Medicare’s Prescription Drug Cost Cap in 2025.

  • “In prior years, Part D saw a coverage gap known as a “donut hole,” which forced recipients to pay out-of-pocket costs after an initial coverage threshold was reached. The costs would be paid out-of-pocket until a “catastrophic” threshold was reached. In 2024, that threshold was $8,000. This threshold is now eliminated.”

WBRC: 2025 Marks the Start of Medicare Prescription Drug Cap. 

  • “Thousands of Alabamians are now saving money at the pharmacy because of a new Medicare prescription drug cap that kicked in Wednesday. Right now, prescription copays are capped at a maximum of $2,000 a year for people on Medicare prescription drug plans. This was a part of the Federal government’s Inflation Reduction Act. AARP estimates 61,000 Alabamians will save on prescriptions.”

WTAE: New Medicare Rules to Cap Prescription Drug Costs for Seniors.

  • “The changes aim to remove barriers to healthy living and help lower costs for seniors. ‘[It’s] a really big deal for people with Medicare since most folks on Medicare live on relatively low incomes,’ Cubanski said. In some cases, the changes could help many struggling to keep up with paying and taking their prescriptions. ‘In some cases, they simply don’t fill their prescriptions,’ Health Research Professor Jack Hoadley of George Washington University said. ‘For the system, that means they may not end up in the hospital. It’s improving their health and therefore improving cost and creating savings for the health system as a whole.’”

AllOnGeorgia: Sen. Ossoff Announces Start of $2,000/Year Cap on Prescription Drug Spending for Georgia Seniors.

  • “Thanks to legislation Sen. Ossoff helped pass into law in 2022, out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors with Medicare Part D are now capped at $2,000 per year starting January 1, 2025. According to AARP, the new prescription drug cap Sen. Ossoff helped pass into law will benefit more than an estimated 100,000 Georgia seniors who spend over $2,000 per year for medicine.”

STATEMENTS

President Joe Biden: “Before I took office, people with Medicare who took expensive drugs could face a crushing burden, paying $10,000 a year or more in copays for the drugs they need to stay alive. When I took on Big Pharma and won, we changed that, capping seniors’ out-of-pocket spending on drugs they get at the pharmacy for the first time ever. Costs were capped at about $3,500 in 2024, and in just the first six months of the year, this policy saved people with Medicare $1 billion in cost-sharing. On January 1, 2025, the cap on drug costs fully phases in, and costs are now capped at $2,000 per year. As a result, 19 million people are expected to save an average of $400 each. That’s a game changer for the American people. My Inflation Reduction Act has changed Medicare for the better, and as a result Americans will have more money back in their pockets in the years to come.” [Press Release, 12/31/24]

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra: “Starting January 1, millions of seniors begin saving thousands of dollars on their prescription drugs – thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s yearly cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. This is yet another pivotal milestone in the Biden-Harris Administrations work to lower prescription drug costs for Americans.” [Press Release, 12/31/24]

CMS Deputy Administrator and Director Meena Seshamani: “Happy New Year! For the first time ever, there is now a $2000 out of pocket cap for #Medicare and a new Medicare Prescription Payment Plan to help spread costs over the year. So honored to work with the Medicare team to bring this needed financial relief to millions.” [X, 01/01/25]

Representative Richard E. Neal (D-MA-01), Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member, and Representative Steven Horsford, Ways and Means Committee Member (D-NV-04): “With the new year comes another way Democrats are delivering on lower costs and more breathing room for the American people. In 2025, seniors will pay no more than $2,000 out-of-pocket for their prescription drugs—it’s a stunning achievement and all thanks to the leadership of President Biden and House Democrats. The underlying legislation, Capping Drug Costs for Seniors Act, proudly came from the Ways and Means Committee and will materially change lives. The Inflation Reduction Act has already saved seniors over $1 billion in just the first six months of last year, and more savings are on the way when the price cap goes into effect today. The American people are better off with affordable, accessible health care, and Democrats will never stop fighting to make it a reality.” [Press Release, 01/01/25]

Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ-06), House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member: “Great news — Starting today, out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs for seniors will be capped at $2,000 per year. This is another way the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act is providing relief to seniors who have been gouged on their prescription drug bills for too long.” [X, 01/01/25]

Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14): “Starting TODAY, out-of-pocket drug costs for people on Medicare are CAPPED at $2,000 annually because @HouseDemocrats fought to lower costs.” [X, 01/01/25]

Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09): “Because of the Inflation Reduction Act, beginning today seniors on Medicare across NW Ohio and nationwide will have their prescription drug costs capped at $2,000 annually. I will never stop fighting to lower costs for you.” [X, 01/01/25]

Representative Dina Titus (D-NV-01): “Effective TODAY seniors on Medicare will pay no more than $2,000/year for prescription drugs, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act I supported.” [X, 01/01/25]

ashoup
In News

STATEMENT: Seniors Ring in the New Year With More Savings on Prescription Drugs Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act

Seniors Are Saving Thousands Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, But Republicans Plan Repeal To Fund Tax Breaks

Washington D.C. — Yesterday, the $2,000 out-of-pocket prescription drug cost cap, a major provision of the Inflation Reduction Act, took effect, saving seniors thousands of dollars a year. Seniors will save even more next year when lower prices negotiated by Medicare go into effect. Prior to the Inflation Reduction Act, there was no limit on what the nearly 56 million people who count on Medicare had to pay for their prescriptions, putting life-saving medication out of reach for many. The Inflation Reduction Act also caps monthly insulin costs at $35 for people on Medicare, gives Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices, and penalizes drug companies for raising drug prices faster than inflation. However, not a single Republican voted for the Inflation Reduction Act and they have vowed to repeal it. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement: 

“The new out-of-pocket cost cap is a game-changer for our nation’s seniors. President Biden and Democrats in Congress stood up to big drug companies and won. Now, seniors are saving money, ensuring they can afford the care they need without sacrificing other basic needs like groceries, gas, and rent. Every Republican member of Congress sided with the drug companies and voted against lower prices for seniors and, now, Donald Trump and Republicans want to raise costs by repealing these lifesaving changes. Republicans want to allow drug companies to charge whatever they want at the expense of American seniors. The GOP plans have one goal in mind: slash the programs families rely on to fund more tax breaks for billionaires and let American families suffer the consequences.”

Background:

Reminder: MAGA Republicans Want to Raise Costs and Rip Away Health Care

ashoup
In News

ROUND UP: Lawmakers and Advocates Urge Republicans to Stop Premium Hikes, Protect Health Care For Millions

Instead of Protecting Health Care for Millions of Americans, Republicans Are Working Overtime to Hand Out More Tax Breaks to Their Wealthy Friends on Wall Street

Over the past few weeks, Democratic lawmakers including Representative Angie Craig (D-MN-02), HHS Regional Directors, and health care advocates joined Protect Our Care to sound the alarm about the urgent need for Congress to stop Republican premium hikes. As open enrollment for  the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is underway, millions of families are saving hundreds of dollars thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits. Last year, 21.4 million Americans enrolled with 4 out of 5 finding a plan for $10 or less per month. During the events, speakers explained what is at risk if Republicans in Congress cut funding and let the ACA tax credits expire at the end of 2025. 

Allowing the tax credits to expire is part of a wider effort to sabotage the Affordable Care Act. Donald Trump and his GOP allies have made clear that ripping away health care for millions of Americans is a top priority for 2025. Recent reporting indicated that Medicaid will be targeted for budget cuts in the coming year while Trump has even put repealing the ACA back on the table. If the enhanced tax credits do expire, 5 million Americans will become uninsured as costs skyrocket for over 20 million more and Republicans will own the premium hikes and coverage losses for middle-class families.

UPCOMING:

ALASKA

WHO:
State Representative Genevieve Mina (D-AK-19)
Stephanie Bergstrom, Lifelong Alaskan enrolled in the Open Market
Amber Lee, Protect Our Care Alaska

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference

WHERE: Register for the Zoom here [Registration required]

WHEN: Friday, December 20, at 11:30 AM AKST // 3:30 PM ET

PAST: 

CALIFORNIA 

Friday, December 6 — ACA/Medicare Open Enrollment event with San Clemente City Councilmember Chris Duncan and Health Care Advocates: San Clemente City Councilmember Chris Duncan and health care advocates joined Protect Our Care California to highlight the critical benefits that Medicare provides for California seniors as well as the importance of expanding and protecting the ACA, especially as Republicans in Congress want to do away with enhanced premium tax credits. Losing these tax credits will raise premiums and make health care coverage out of reach for too many. “Everyone is affected by higher health care costs,” said San Clemente Councilmember Chris Duncan. “We need to be working to expand Medicare coverage and lower premiums across the board as we move towards making sure every person gets the health care that they need.” You can watch the event here and view the post-event release here.

MAINE

Friday, December 20 – ACA Open Enrollment Event with State Senator Joseph Baldacci and Health Care Advocates: State Senator Joseph Baldacci, State Representative Anne Graham and Kate Ende Policy Director for Consumers for Affordable Health Care will join Protect Our Care Maine to discuss the urgent need for Congress to stop Republican premium hikes. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period runs through January 15, and Mainers will continue to save thousands of dollars on their health care thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. As Congress continues to negotiate a health care package, new reporting indicates that Republicans have rejected Democrats’ proposal to extend the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credits for one year. Republicans are working overtime to dole out more tax breaks to their wealthy friends on Wall Street. If these tax credits do expire, Republicans will own this premium hike for middle-class families and the coverage losses for millions that come with it.

MICHIGAN

Wednesday, December 11 — ACA Open Enrollment/ePTC Event with HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi and Health Care Advocates: HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi, senior policy analyst Amber Bellazaire and Ingham County Health Department Program Coordinator Mindy Smith joined Protect Our Care Michigan to highlight the benefits of ACA coverage and discuss what’s at stake for Michiganders if Republicans in Congress follow through with their plans to let enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of 2025. HHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi explained the benefits of enrolling in ACA coverage and how Americans can enroll in more expansive and affordable coverage than ever: “During current open enrollment, four in five consumers will be able to enroll in coverage for less than $10 per month, thanks to premium tax credits under the IRA. Right now, more than 14 million Americans save an average of $527 on monthly health insurance premiums thanks to the tax credits. Marketplace health coverage means people can access quality health care when they need it, not just when they can afford it.” You can watch the event here and view the post-event release here. 

  • CBS Detroit: Preview: HHS Regional Director to Join POC Michigan for Press Call on ACA and Risks of losing ePTCs (TVeyes clip)
  • Michigan Business Network: U.S. DHHS Regional Director Michael Cabonargi, Health Care Advocates Join Protect Our Care Michigan to Discuss ACA Open Enrollment Period

MINNESOTA

Wednesday, December 4th—ACA Open Enrollment Event with Congresswoman Angie Craig, MNsure CEO Libby Caulum and Health Care Advocates: Congresswoman Angie Craig, MNsure CEO Libby Caulum, and local resident Vicky Selin joined Protect Our Care Minnesota to discuss the urgent need for Congress to stop Republican premium hikes. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period runs through January 15, and Minnesotans will continue to save thousands of dollars on their health care thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. “For far too long, Big Pharma’s price hikes and the egregious cost of health care in America has forced Minnesotans to make absolutely gut wrenching decisions about getting the healthcare that they need and deserve to survive and putting food on the table, in the richest country in the world. We should not have to make those decisions, but we’ve made incredible progress,” said U.S. Rep. Angie Craig. “Making these enhanced premium tax credits permanent is critical in our fight for more affordable health care.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.  

  • Red Lake Nation News: Congresswoman Angie Craig Joins Protect Our Care Minnesota to Discuss ACA Open Enrollment Period, and What’s At Stake if GOP Raises Costs by Letting Premium Tax Credits Expire
  • Star Tribune Editorial: Mad about the price of eggs? Wait ’til you see coming health coverage cost hikes.

NEVADA

Monday, December 9 – ACA Open Enrollment and ePTC Event with HHS Regional Director Jeffrey Reynoso and Health Care Advocates: U.S. HSS Region IX Director Dr. Jeffrey Reynoso, Katie Charleson with Nevada Health Link, For Our Future and Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollee joined Protect Our Care Nevada to discuss the urgent need for Congress to stop Republican premium hikes. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period runs through January 15, and Nevadans will continue to save thousands of dollars on their health care thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. “In 2024 over 99,000 Nevadans selected a plan through Healthcare.Gov,” said Director Reynoso. “I’m proud that health coverage enrollment has remained consistent at or near record levels during the entirety of the Biden Harris administration, a testament to our shared commitment with Nevada Health Link to strengthen and protect access.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

  • Public News Service: Nevadans encouraged to look at health care options during open enrollment
  • KOLOTV: 97,000 Nevadans sign up for health insurance through Health Link
  • FOX5: 97,000 Nevadans sign up for health insurance through Health Link

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Thursday, December 19 – ACA Open Enrollment/ePTC Event with Covering New Hampshire Health Care Advocates: Covering New Hampshire executive director Jayme Simoes and health law professor Lucy Hodder joined Protect Our Care New Hampshire to promote the Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period and discuss what’s at stake for Granite Staters if they lose enhanced premium tax credits. “We cannot afford to go backwards any further on health care,” said Jayme Simoes, Covering New Hampshire. “There is just too much at stake. Like anything, health care requires certainty and leadership…With these tax credits, if we take them away, we throw everything into a huge question mark but we also throw people out of the system.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here. 

NEW YORK

Tuesday, December 10 at 10AM ET—ACA Open Enrollment/EPTC Accountability Event with Former HHS Regional Director Dr. Dara Kass: Former Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Dara Kass joined Protect Our Care to promote the Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period and discuss the urgent need for Congress to stop Republican premium hikes. The ACA open enrollment period runs through January 15, allowing New Yorkers to continue to save thousands of dollars on healthcare through enhanced premium tax credits provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. As Congress continues to negotiate a health care package, new reporting indicates that Republicans have rejected Democrats’ proposal to extend the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credits for one year. Republicans are working overtime to dole out more tax breaks to their wealthy friends on Wall Street. If these tax credits do expire, Republicans will own this premium hike for middle-class families and the coverage losses for millions that come with it. “Over a decade ago, the passage of the ACA was a transformative step in providing millions of Americans with affordable, accessible, and effective health insurance,” said Dara Kass, former Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “Affordability is achieved when premiums are set at levels families can realistically afford. Democrats have fought tirelessly to ensure that tax credits under the ACA and IRA continue to benefit countless New York families. However, if these provisions expire, an estimated 32,000 New Yorkers could see their premiums skyrocket, and 4,000 may lose their insurance entirely. We must do everything in our power to pressure Republicans in Congress and hold them accountable to the constituents whose coverage is at stake.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

WEST VIRGINIA

Monday, Tuesday 6 — Charleston Gazette-Mail Op-Ed by Ellen Allen on Dangers of ACA Rollbacks and Losing ePTCs: Protect Our Care West Virginia placed an opinion piece in the Charleston Gazette-Mail by West Virginians for Affordable Health Care executive director Ellen Allen on the significant impacts that the ACA has provided for West Virginians and consequences that would come if its benefits were taken away. Allen warns of what might happen to West Virginians if Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs) and Medicaid are no longer available: “It’s no secret that West Virginia is in perennial competition for the worst health outcomes in the nation. Stripping away the health care of 217,000 West Virginians will only set us back even further, making the long sought after generational advances in health improvements — especially in infant and maternal health — elusive.” You can read the full op-ed here. 

Thursday, December 12 — ACA Open Enrollment/ePTC Event with West Virginians for Affordable Health Care and Health Care Advocates: West Virginians for Affordable Health Care executive director Ellen Allen and storytellers Jesica Ice and Rusty Williams joined Protect Our Care West Virginia to discuss the urgent need for Congress to stop Republican premium hikes. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period runs through January 15, and West Virginians will continue to save thousands of dollars on their health care thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. “What’s truly frustrating is that instead of prioritizing the needs of hardworking families, many Republican leaders continue to block action on this critical issue,” said Jessica Ice, consumer health storyteller. “They seem content to let these tax credits expire while pushing tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and corporations, including drug and insurance companies.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here. 

ashoup
In News, Press Call

Protect Our Care Hosts Events in Maine and Alaska to Discuss ACA Open Enrollment Period and Urge Congress to Stop Premium Hikes

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2024***

If Republicans Let Premium Tax Credits Expire, Health Care Costs Will Rise for Millions of Americans

Today, December 20th, 2024, Protect Our Care Maine and Alaska hold events with State Senator Joe Baldacci (D-ME-9), State Representatives Annie Graham (D-ME-105), Genevieve Mina (D-AK-19), and local advocates to discuss the urgent need for Congress to stop Republican premium hikes. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period runs through January 15, and people will continue to save thousands of dollars on their health care thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. As Congress continues to negotiate a health care package, new reporting indicates that Republicans have rejected Democrats’ proposal to extend the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credits for one year. Republicans are working overtime to dole out more tax breaks to their wealthy friends on Wall Street. If these tax credits do expire, Republicans will own this premium hike for middle-class families and the coverage losses for millions that come with it.

Thanks to these savings passed by the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress, over 62,000 enrolled in ACA Marketplace plans in 2024. But these tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025. Millions of Americans are depending on lower premiums. According to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, if Congress does not take action to extend the Inflation Reduction Act’s savings, many will see their insurance premiums increase. Speakers will urge Congress to renew these tax credits so that Americans can continue to rely on these savings to remain insured and healthy. 

MAINE

WHO:
State Senator Joe Baldacci (D-ME-9)
State Representative Annie Graham (D-ME-105)
Kate Ende, Consumers for Affordable Health Care
Toby McGrath, Protect Our Care Maine

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference

WHERE: Register for the Zoom here [Registration required]

WHEN: Friday, December 20 at 2:00 PM ET

ALASKA

WHO:
State Representative Genevieve Mina (D-AK-19)
Stephanie Bergstrom, Lifelong Alaskan enrolled in the Open Market
Amber Lee, Protect Our Care Alaska

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference

WHERE: Register for the Zoom here [Registration required]

WHEN: Friday, December 20, at 11:30 AM AKST // 3:30 PM ET

ashoup
In News

ROUND UP: Experts, Advocates From Across The Country Urge Republicans To Veto RFK Jr.

Recent news coverage and opinion pieces from across the country make clear that RFK Jr. and his radical agenda are dangerous for American health care. He doesn’t have the experience and skills to run major health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid that over 125 million Americans rely on for their health care. By opposing life-saving vaccines and pledging to stop funding research for cures and treatments, he will put the health of every American at risk. He embraces fringe ideas and promotes conspiracies, ignoring already settled science and experts. It was recently revealed RFK Jr.’s lawyer petitioned the FDA to revoke the polio vaccine. At his very core, RFK Jr. is anti-thetical to keeping Americans healthy. 

HEADLINES

The Washington Post: RFK Jr. Tries to Build Momentum for HHS Candidacy on Capitol Hill

  • Leslie Dach, founder of Protect Our Care, a left-leaning advocacy group fighting Kennedy’s selection for HHS, said he isn’t impressed by Kennedy’s early meetings with GOP senators. “He purposely picked the easy ones who will give him momentum,” Dach said. “The senators that matter, he hasn’t seen. … Just looking at public remarks, you can see enough votes to defeat him,” Dach said. “This is a fight we can win.”

The New Republic: RFK Jr.’s Cabinet Nomination Is Already Flopping

  • He’ll also have to convince lawmakers that his agenda, which opposes vaccine mandates for school-aged children and includes appointing someone who has filed a petition with the FDA to end the approval and “pause distribution” of 13 vaccines, isn’t at odds with the future of America’s health.

New York Times: What Kennedy Has Said About the Polio Vaccine in Recent Years

  • But a New York Times review of Mr. Kennedy’s public comments over the past several years shows that he has consistently expressed views about the polio vaccine that are at odds with the medical consensus. For example, he has suggested that after the vaccine was first introduced, it might have caused a wave of cancers “that killed many, many, many, many, many more people than polio ever did.” And he has said the idea that the vaccine resulted in a drastic decline in polio cases is “a mythology” that is “just not true.”

OPINION

Press Herald: Opinion: Why RFK Jr. Must Not Become HHS Secretary.
By Donna A. Gaffney, psychotherapist, and Teri Mills, retired adult nurse practitioner.

  • Despite his unfounded beliefs, Kennedy is out of step with the majority of Americans who know that vaccination is a crucial tool in controlling the spread of a virus and protecting public health. The Pew Research Center found in 2023 that 88% of Americans say the benefits of childhood vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) outweigh the risks, compared with just 10% who say the risks outweigh the benefits.

Los Angeles Times: Column: The Latest Evidence That Putting RFK Jr. In Charge of Public Health Would Be a Disaster.
By Robin Abcarian, LA Times Columnist. 

The Nation: RFK Jr. Is Giving Infectious Diseases a Promotional Tour
By Gregg Gonsalves, codirector of the Global Health Justice Partnership and associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health.

  • RFK Jr. has bragged that he’d tell researchers at the National Institutes of Health to give “infectious disease a break for about eight years.” Well, he isn’t giving infectious disease a break but leading its promotional tour. If this man gets what he wants, old scourges will be back with a vengeance. And those years, like those of my father’s childhood, filled with the terror of deadly diseases, the suffering and upheaval of sickness and death visited upon families, the lingering effects down the generations, will be here again.

Greenfield Reporter: My Turn: Just Say No to Polio and RFK Jr.
By Roxann Wedegartner, former mayor of Greenfield, MA.

  • For me, the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services is one of the worst, because of, among other reasons, his stance on vaccinations — in particular, a petition to the FDA by Kennedy’s lawyer, Aaron Siri, to revoke approval of the polio vaccine.

Kansas City Star: Opinion: RFK Jr.’s Anti-vax Views Haven’t Changed Since He Spoke in Kansas Last Year
By Yvette Walker, The Kansas City Star’s opinion editor and leader of its editorial board.

  • It’s hard to say which Trump nominee will have the toughest battle for confirmation, because most of his choices are staggering. But I can say with confidence that Kennedy could do the most damage if he runs roughshod through the health policies and safeguards our country relies on. For example, CBS News reported that Trump planned to speak with him about ending childhood vaccine programs.

Los Angeles Times: Opinion: My Son Has Autism. His Life Tells a Story RFK Jr. Ignores
By Susan Hall, writer in Michigan. 

  • With his inaccurate stance that vaccines should be avoided to prevent autism, Kennedy suggests that chancing severe childhood diseases would be preferable to a life like my son’s. Diagnosed at age 1 with a rare seizure disorder that stalled his cognitive development, and later with intellectual disability and autism, my son today is a smart, charming 25-year-old with a great sense of humor. He’s exploding with independence and has cultivated passions of his own: lawn mowing and country music, to start with.

NJ.com: Opinion: RFK Jr. Is Here to Stuff Your Stocking
By Drew Sheneman, cartoonist. 

  • In the short time since he was named as Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to remove fluoride from the drinking water and announced his intention to repeal approval of the polio vaccine. Neither of these actions seem to to be conducive to health or humans, so maybe RFK Jr. and his brain worm aren’t the best choice to lead an agency devoted to the promotion and welfare of both.
ashoup
In News, Report, Research

NEW REPORT: Misinformation Kills: RFK Jr’s Deadly Visit To Samoa

Foreword by Hawaii Governor Josh Green

Read the Report Here.

Washington, D.C. — Today, Protect Our Care is releasing a new national report with a foreword from Hawaii Governor Josh Green. The report details Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s role in the deadly measles outbreak in Samoa and the danger he poses to the health and well-being of millions of Americans if confirmed as the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In 2019, RFK Jr. visited the island nation of Samoa to spread anti-vaccination conspiracy theories, which led to the deaths of 83 people, primarily infants and children. To this day, he refuses to take responsibility and continues to oppose lifesaving vaccines, saying he “does not believe that infectious disease is an enormous threat to human health.”

RFK Jr. is unqualified and holds dangerous anti-science and anti-vaccination policy positions, ready to put his personal interests ahead of the health and safety of the American people. Under his leadership, more people will get sick and die – especially children. 

“As a firsthand witness of the tragedy in Samoa, I am certain that the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would be devastating for the health of the American people,” said Hawaii Governor Josh Green. “Vaccine misinformation is deadly, period. For years, Kennedy has fueled misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccinations and other public health measures that keep people safe. He is unfit to lead our nation’s health care system.”

“What RFK Jr. did to Samoa he will do to America. RFK Jr. poses a life-or-death threat to millions of Americans if confirmed as HHS Secretary,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “RFK Jr. has said that ‘no vaccine is safe and effective.’ His opposition to vaccines will lead to a resurgence of deadly childhood diseases like polio and measles. He supports defunding lifesaving research that is used to develop treatments and cures for diseases. RFK Jr. rejects proven science that keeps people healthy and if he is put in a position like HHS secretary, the damage would be catastrophic.”

Timeline of Events:

2018

  • Two children in Samoa died after receiving their MMR vaccine as a result of nurses improperly mixing the vaccines with a liquid muscle relaxant instead of water. The nurses were sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter.
  • RFK Jr’s Children’s Health Defense posted on Facebook questioning the safety of measles vaccines.
  • The World Health Organization estimated that in 2018, only 31 percent of infants in Samoa received the measles vaccine, a drop from 60 to 70 percent in previous years.
  • RFK Jr’s Children’s Health Defense never updated the public about the true cause of the babies’ deaths.

2019

  • While vaccination rates were dropping, Kennedy traveled to Samoa in June 2019, meeting with the Prime Minister and other government officials. The trip had been arranged by a prominent Samoan anti-vaccine activist, and paid for by Children’s Health Defense. RFK Jr. appeared with government officials and local anti-vaccine activists.
  • The measles outbreak began in September 2019.
  • A state of emergency was declared in November 2019, closing all schools, keeping children under 17 away from public events, and mandating vaccines.
  • The anti-vaccine activists with ties to Kennedy used misinformation and harsh rhetoric to oppose the government’s efforts in containing the outbreak.
  • By January 22, 2020, 5,707 measles cases and 83 measles-related deaths were reported. 87 percent of the reported deaths were children younger than 5 years.
ashoup
In News, Fact Sheet, Research

FACT SHEET: Five Ways Republicans Are Planning To Gut Medicaid

The GOP war on Medicaid is alive and well. Republicans are targeting Medicaid for deep budget cuts as part of a reconciliation bill coming early next year in order to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid is an essential pillar of our health care system. It is the largest health insurance program in the country, providing health care to more than 70 million Americans — nearly a quarter of the country. Medicaid is jointly funded by the federal government and the states, and it is supported by 76 percent of Americans. It covers one in five Americans, including kids, moms, seniors, people of color, rural Americans, and people with disabilities. 

Five key ways Republicans could cut federal Medicaid funding and leave millions of Americans uninsured and unable to afford health care include: imposing lifetime caps on coverage, slashing the federal matching rate for traditional Medicaid and Medicaid expansion, implementing bureaucratic reporting requirements, block granting Medicaid, and introducing per capita caps. All of these policies mean that millions would lose their coverage, state budgets would be strained, and rural hospitals would be more likely to close. Every family knows someone who counts on Medicaid. If MAGA Republicans get their way, Medicaid will be decimated — taking health care away from hardworking families across the country all to pay for more tax breaks for the wealthy. 

By The Numbers

  • Republican threats to Medicaid put health care at risk for 72 million (21 percent) of Americans including:
  • Republicans will create at least a $50 billion hole in state Medicaid budgets to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations. 
  • If Republicans decrease federal funding for people in the Medicaid expansion population, it would immediately rip health care away from over 4.2 million Americans across 12 states and jeopardize health care for about 21 million people.
  • Republicans threaten care for 18.5 million people on Medicaid by imposing lifetime caps.
  • Republicans could deny coverage to 36 million Americans through burdensome bureaucratic reporting requirements.

Five Ways The GOP Plans To Gut Medicaid

  1. The GOP Will Impose Lifetime Caps For People On Medicaid. Republicans want to enact the Project 2025 playbook by imposing lifetime caps for people on Medicaid. Proposals have suggested people remain eligible for just 36 months, potentially over their entire lifetime. If enacted, the Center For American Progress found that these caps would strip benefits from hardworking families and people with complex medical conditions, particularly in states that have not expanded Medicaid, endangering coverage for the 18.5 million people with Medicaid who qualify based on income alone.
  2. Republicans Want To Slash Federal Funding for Medicaid By Reducing the Amount of Federal Funding That Matches State Medicaid Funding. As part of their plans to slash spending, Republicans could achieve their longtime goal of eliminating federal funding for Medicaid expansion and decreasing funding for traditional Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act provided for states to expand Medicaid eligibility by offering matching federal funds as an incentive. Some recent proposals have suggested lowering the federal match rate to 90 percent or lower, which would create a $50 billion hole in state Medicaid budgets. Research shows Medicaid expansion improves people’s health, keeps hospitals open, increases families’ financial security, and saves lives – and, in turn, helps reduce racial and ethnic, rural, and other health disparities. As of 2024, 41 states (including DC) have expanded Medicaid under the ACA. However, 12 of these states – Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Virginia, and Utah – have a trigger law, which means that health care will be at risk or immediately be ripped away from 4,291,000 people across the country if the GOP succeeds in gutting funding for Medicaid expansion.
  3. Republicans Want To Impose Burdensome Bureaucratic Reporting Requirements. Several recent Republican budget proposals have included plans to introduce bureaucratic work reporting requirements as a mandatory part of Medicaid enrollment and verification. By imposing work reporting requirements, Republicans are only seeking to cut Medicaid and kick millions of people off the rolls. Research shows that work reporting requirements cost states money and do not improve people’s ability to find work. In Georgia, a GOP alternative to Medicaid expansion emphasizing work requirements cost taxpayers $26 million, only provided coverage to 3,500 people, and resulted in consulting firms pocketing 90 percent of the funding. If Republicans succeed in implementing work reporting requirements, up to 21 million Americans could be denied Medicaid coverage.
  4. Republicans Want To Radically Restructure Medicaid Through Block Grants, Resulting In Deep Cuts. Another way MAGA Republicans want to radically restructure Medicaid is by changing it into five block grants. In March, the Republican Study Committee released a proposal to do just that. Block grants would shift costs to states and inevitably result in deep cuts to Medicaid programs by capping the amount of federal Medicaid funding states receive. As CBPP found in 2017, a block grant would force states to make deep cuts to their Medicaid programs to compensate for the federal funding cuts. Currently, the federal government pays between 50 percent and 77 percent of enrollees’ Medicaid costs, and more for certain high-value services. Republicans’ proposals to slash billions in federal funding from Medicaid would strain state budgets and leave tens of millions of people uninsured.
  5. Republicans Want To Introduce Per Capita Caps For Medicaid, Shifting Costs To States. Past Republican budget proposals have established a per capita cap for states on Medicaid enrollment. This type of spending cap imposes a restriction on the amount the federal government will contribute per capita to states’ Medicaid budgets. The proposals also increase the amount states must contribute to their Medicaid programs. In practice, per capita caps only increase costs for Medicaid beneficiaries – often in the form of higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs, all but ensuring that even if one qualifies for Medicaid, the services may not be affordable. It also means Medicaid would not have the flexibility to take on an influx of new patients during public health emergencies.
Close Menu