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In News

Burlington County Local Leaders Stand Up to Say, “It’s Time to End the Republican War on Health Care”

Andy Kim, Health Care Advocates Join Protect Our Care to Call for an End to GOP Attacks on New Jerseyans’ Health Care

View photos of today’s event here.

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY – This morning, Protect Our Care’s nationwide bus tour arrived in New Jersey to call attention to the Republicans ongoing war on health care care. Headlined by Andy Kim and cancer survivor Laura Packard, the event highlighted the actions Republicans are taking to harm New Jerseyans’ care and called on Rep. Tom MacArthur to work instead to protect our health care.

Kim and Packard shared powerful stories of why the issue of health care is so important to them:

“I’m the father of two baby boys, and my youngest baby was someone who had significant health problems right from the very beginning,” said Kim. “I remember when the doctors told us that he was dangerously underweight and had real risk. And it reminded me of how many families in this country and this community have health care crises and are unsure of how they’ll be able to afford it.”

“I’m alive because of the Affordable Care Act,” said Packard. “I’m a stage four cancer survivor and I’m on this tour to defend our attacks against the GOP. President Trump may have blocked me on Twitter, but he can’t stop me and the American people from fighting to protect our care.”

Their concerns over health care repeal were shared by Dr. Jennifer Chuang, a pediatrician who spoke of patients rationing insulin and skipping doctor’s appointments due to lack of medical coverage; Claudia Storichs, a registered nurse who spoke of the health benefits patients have seen under the Affordable Care Act; and Jim Parker, a small business owner who said the ACA has been important to keep workers who need the protections offered by it.

These benefits were then reinforced by Bruce Davis, the economic chair of the New Jersey NAACP, who spoke of the 10% insurance rate increase among African-Americans due to the ACA, and the harms cuts to Medicaid and Medicare would bring, and Seth Hahn, the political director of CWA New Jersey, who spoke of the care New Jersey workers have received since passage – and how Republicans have worked to take away these protections.

“We’re glad to be here because we have to be, not because we want to,” said Brad Woodhosue, executive director of Protect Our Care. “We should not have to fight this war on health care, but we will, because the health care of the American people is so important that we’re not going to let partisan politics on behalf of Republicans and people like Tom MacArthur take it away.”

At today’s event, Burlington County residents, health care advocates, elected officials and members of Protect Our Care detailed the numbers ways in which Republicans have attacked health care, and how these actions have cut coverage and increased costs for New Jerseyans. Because of the Republican repeal-and-sabotage agenda:

  • In New Jersey, out of pocket costs for older people could have increased by as much as $11,340 by 2026 if AHCA had become law
  • New Jersey expanded Medicaid under the ACA and the 500,000 New Jerseyans who have gained coverage because of this program would find their care at risk if the law were repealed.
  • 243,000 New Jerseyans who have obtained health insurance through the ACA marketplace could lose their coverage if a judge sides with President Trump and the GOP in their lawsuit; and protections for 3.8 million New Jerseyans, including more than 300,000 in NJ-03, living with a pre-existing condition would be in jeopardy.
  • Hundreds of billions of dollars have been cut from Medicare.
  • Dozens of hospitals in rural areas have closed, exacerbating the care and coverage gaps that exist for families in America’s rural communities.
  • Insurance rates in New Jersey dropped by an average of 9.3 percent this year despite Republican attempts at sabotage, a decrease that Governor Phil Murphy attributed to “sticking to the tenets of the Affordable Care Act.”
  • Representative Tom MacArthur helped author and passed a health care repeal bill that would cause 23 million people to lose coverage and gut protections for people with pre-existing condition; voted for a budget amendment that would cut Medicaid by $700 billion over ten years, $114 billion in a single year alone. MacArthur also voted for a tax scam that doubled as a sneaky repeal of the Affordable Care Act  by kicking 13 million people off of their insurance and raising premiums by double digits for millions more.

Later today, “Care Force One” will head to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit protectourcarebustour.com.

ashoup
In News

Binghamton Leaders Stand Up to Say, “It’s Time to End the Republican War on Health Care”

Local Health Care Advocates Join Protect Our Care to Call for an End to GOP Attacks on New Yorkers’ Health Care

View photos of today’s event here.

BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK- This afternoon, Protect Our Care’s nationwide bus tour arrived in Kingston to call attention to the Republicans ongoing war on health care care. Headlined by cancer survivor Laura Packard and Ron Deutsch, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, the event highlighted the actions Republicans are taking to harm New Yorkers’ care and called on Republicans to work instead to protect our health care.

“I’m alive because of the Affordable Care Act,” said Packard. “I’m a stage four cancer survivor and I’m on this tour to defend our attacks against the GOP. President Trump may have blocked me on Twitter, but he can’t stop me and the American people from fighting to protect our care.”

Her sentiments were echoed by Deutsch and Jim Carr of the New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, who noted the importance of health care programs:

“Enough is enough. Everybody, regardless of their income level, should be able to access affordable health care,” said Deutsch. “Right now the House Republican budget is looking at slashing $5 trillion over the next decade for a variety of programs and services, not the least of which is Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act… We’ve got about one in four families receiving Medicaid coverage. People are relying on these programs to get by.”

“Seniors need Medicare, which is under attack,” said Carr. “Medicare is the number one, most efficient program of any health care program we have in the country.”

And their significance was made crystal clear by local residents Linda Quilty and Mike Hermann:

“I’m just a grandmother who has a granddaughter with disabilities,” said Quilty. “She was born as what they call a ‘floppy baby,’ she just didn’t move… Now, she’s eight years old and she’s doing wonderfully well. She’s still has problems, but she’s gotten extensive therapies through Medicaid-assisted groups…. My concern is – what happens to these babies who don’t get the assistance that she has had? Where do they go without all of that help?”

“In 2016, I had a heart attack and needed bypass surgery, and there were complications after the surgery. I had over $200,000 in medical bills,” said Hermann. “My Affordable Care Act policy saved me from financial ruin. All essential benefits were covered. No lifetime caps, no annual caps.”

At today’s event, Binghamton residents, health care advocates, elected officials and members of Protect Our Care detailed the numbers ways in which Republicans have attacked health care, and how these actions have cut coverage and increased costs for New Yorkers. Because of the Republican repeal-and-sabotage agenda:

  • New Yorkers will see their premiums rise by an average of 8.6 percent next year. It’s expected that 40 year old New Yorkers in NY-22 could face paying an extra $630 for marketplace coverage because of Republican sabotage.
  • In New York, out of pocket costs for older people could have increased by as much as $3,679 by 2026 if the House-passed American Health Care Act had become law.
  • New York expanded Medicaid under the ACA and the 143,000 New Yorkers have gained coverage because of this program would find their care at risk if the law were repealed.
  • 872,000 New Yorkers who have obtained health insurance through the ACA marketplace could lose their coverage if a judge sides President Trump and the GOP in their lawsuit; and protections for 8,398,900 New Yorkers living with a pre-existing condition would be in jeopardy.
  • Hundreds of billions of dollars have been cut from Medicare.
  • Dozens of hospitals in rural areas have closed, exacerbating the care and coverage gaps that exist for families in America’s rural communities.
  • Representative Claudia Tenney voted for and passed a health care repeal bill that would cause 23 million people to lose coverage and gut protections for people with pre-existing condition; voted for a budget amendment that would cut Medicaid by $700 billion over ten years, $114 billion in a single year alone; voted for a tax scam that doubled as a sneaky repeal of the Affordable Care Act  by kicking 13 million people off of their insurance and raising premiums by double digits for millions more.

Tomorrow, “Care Force One” will head to Burlington County, New Jersey. For more information, please visit https://protectourcarebustour.com/.

ashoup
In News

New Polls, New Data: Health Care is a Top Issue in Virginia Battleground District of CD 07

Voters Disapprove of Republican Attacks on Pre-Existing Conditions and Incumbent Dave Brat’s Pro-Repeal Record

Washington, DC – As a new poll out of Monmouth University Polling Institute finds that Democrat Abigail Spanberger holds a narrow lead over pro-repeal incumbent Republican Dave Brat, new polling from Protect Our Care and Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows one reason why: health care is the top issue for voters in VA-07. Said Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, in response to the poll findings:

“Voters are willing to throw their support behind Democrats to ensure protections for pre-existing conditions remain intact, it’s just that simple. That’s why Republicans like David Brat are finding themselves in hot water.”

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll in VA-07

  • Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 60% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
  • Virginians are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 62% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 63% of voters.
  • 59% oppose the Trump administration’s lawsuit to overturn protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including nearly half (49%) of Republicans. Virginians are also less likely to vote for Republicans who stayed silent on this lawsuit. A plurality of voters (42%) say they are less likely to vote for Congressman Brat because of his silence on the lawsuit.

The PPP-Protect Our Care Poll Mirrors Data from Google Trends Showing that Searches for Health Care Dominate across the State — including in VA-07.

  • In VA-07, between 43 and 82 percent of all issue searches were on health care; in every county, the second highest search trailed by 8 percentage points or more.

 

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In News

New Polls: Health Care Is The Top Issue in Ohio’s Battleground House Districts

Voters Disapprove of Repealing the Affordable Care Act and Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Health Care is The Top Voting Issue Making Voters More Likely to Support Democrats

“Pre-existing Conditions Create Headaches for Ohio Republicans,” writes the Cleveland Plain Dealer

Washington, DC – New Public Policy Polling (PPP) surveys commissioned by Protect Our Care find that health care may be a decisive issue for voters in the Ohio battlegrounds of OH-12 and OH-14. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement in response to the poll findings:

 

“Try as they might to hide it, make no mistake:  Troy Balderson and Dave Joyce want to roll back protections for 4.8 million Ohioans with pre-existing conditions and you don’t have to look any further than their own record on health care for proof.”

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll OH-12

  • Health care is an important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 61% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
  • Ohioans are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 59% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 64% of voters.
  • 64% oppose the Trump administration lawsuit to eliminate the health care law’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including a 46% plurality of Republicans.

 

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll OH-14

  • Health care is an important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 64% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
  • Ohioans are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 65% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 60% of voters.
  • 63% oppose the Trump administration lawsuit to eliminate the health care law’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including a 51% majority of Republicans.


The PPP-Protect Our Care Polls Mirror Data from Google Trends Showing that Searches for Health Care Dominate across the State — including in OH- 12 and OH-14.

  • In OH-12, health care is far and away the top issue in searches, with the next most popular issue, immigration, trailing by 17-29 percentage points in Delaware, Monroe and Licking counties.
  • In OH 14, health care is also the top issue by a 19-27 percentage point spread in Ashtabula, Lake and Gauga counties.

 

Here’s how the PPP-Protect Our Care polls were covered locally:

Pre-existing Conditions Create Headaches for Ohio Republicans

Years of pushing for Obamacare repeal have created an unpleasant side effect for Republicans seeking re-election to Congress: Their Democratic opponents are pounding the message that Republicans voted to let insurance companies refuse coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Democrats ranging from Betsy Rader in Ohio’s northeast to Aftab Pureval in the southwest are running ads that accuse Republicans in Congress of  voting to end the law’s protections for people with ailments that might disqualify them from buying health insurance. Across the country, Democrats are running similar ads in hopes of winning enough seats to gain control of Congress.

[…] Nowadays, Ohio Republicans who once highlighted their Affordable Care Act opposition are instead stressing their support for its provisions that keep insurance companies from discriminating against sick customers.
Rader’s opponent, Bainbridge Township GOP Rep. Dave Joyce, has even erased boasts on his campaign website about his more than 30 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

 

 

protectourcare
In News, Shot/Chaser

SHOT/CHASER: Yes, Mitt (47%) Romney, The People Understand The Benefits of Medicaid Expansion Just Fine

“Mitt Romney, it’s actually not that complicated. Medicaid Expansion is a good thing. That’s why it’s popular and that’s why the people will vote for it — and not for you — in November,” said Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care

 

SHOT: Mitt Romney opposes Medicaid expansion, and believes that the issue is too complicated for the people to decide in an initiative to appear on November’s ballot. “Medicaid expansion is a very complex issue. It requires extensive research and analysis and I think is generally done best by elected representatives of the people.”

 

CHASER: Medicaid expansion has been studied, and it’s been found to provide numerous benefits for Americans. That’s why Utah’s proposed initiative to enact the Medicaid Expansion is enjoying support from 60 percent of residents.

Here are a few of the studies Mitt Romney must have willfully ignored:

  • Research From Georgetown University Center For Children And Families Confirms That Rural Populations Are Especially Hurt When States Do Not Expand Medicaid. “The uninsured rate for low-income adult citizens (below 138 percent FPL) has come down since 2008/09 in nearly all states, but small towns and rural areas of states that have expanded Medicaid have seen the sharpest declines. The uninsured rate for this population dropped sharply from 35 percent to 16 percent in rural areas and small towns of Medicaid expansion states compared to a decline from 38 percent to 32 percent in non-expansion states between 2008/09 and 2015/16.” [Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, 9/25/18]
  • Rural, Low-Income Voters Less Likely To Have Health Insurance In Than Urban Poor States That Did Not Expand Medicaid. “Rural, low-income voters who helped propel President Trump to victory in 2016 are less likely to have health insurance than the urban poor in states that didn’t expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. A new study compared uninsured rates from 2008-2009 and 2015-2016 by the the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families and the University of North Carolina Rural Health Research Program. It examined insurance coverage in 46 states with significant rural populations and found a disparity between low-income adults living in rural areas and small towns versus those living in metropolitan areas.” [Washington Post, 9/25/18]
  • Georgetown Report Emphasizes That Medicaid Expansion Plays Significant Role In Coverage Gains Given Difficulty Getting Insurance Companies To Cover Rural Communities. “There are several reasons cited in the Georgetown/University of North Carolina report that Medicaid expansion could be part of the solution:  It’s difficult to get insurance company to offer plans in sparsely populated rural towns; areas with more insured residents draw clinics and providers to operate there; and rural hospitals are less likely to close in places where they can depend on Medicaid payments.” [Washington Post, 9/25/18]
  • University of Michigan Study Finds Medicaid Expansion Improves Access To Family Planning. “Among 1,166 reproductive-age women who enrolled in the Healthy Michigan Plan, Michigan’s expansion of the Medicaid program for low-income adults, 1 in 3 said the expanded coverage improved access to birth control and family planning services…’Our findings suggest that the expansion provided an important service for populations with a high unmet need for family planning care,’ says lead author Michelle Moniz, M.D., M.Sc., an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Michigan Medicine. ‘Insurance coverage also means that women have access to more options if they do not want to become pregnant at the current time.’…Each dollar spent on contraception is estimated to save the health care system more than $7 in return, according to a recent study from the Guttmacher Institute. About 40 to 50 percent of the 4 million live births in the U.S. every year are paid for by Medicaid.” [University of Michigan, 8/31/18, JAMA Publication]
  • Northwestern University Research Heart Attack Patients Had Higher Rates Of Health Coverage In Medicaid Expansion States.“In a boost for cardiovascular care in the U.S., new research shows those suffering heart attacks and strokes were less likely to be uninsured for their hospital stays after states expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act…Research led by Dr. Ehimare Akhabue from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine showed Medicaid expansion states had a ‘significant reduction in the proportion of uninsured hospitalizations for major cardiovascular events within 1 year of Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion compared with nonexpansion states.’ Researchers looked at more than 3 million ‘non-Medicare’ hospitalizations from hospital databases from 30 states.” [Forbes, 8/26/18]
  • Ohio Medicaid Expansion Study Found That People Continuously Enrolled Through Medicaid Were Less Likely To Have Medical Debt. “People continuously covered by Medicaid were substantially less likely to have medical debt than eligible people who were still uninsured or people who churned on and off of Medicaid.That aligns with prior studies published in Health Affairs and elsewhere. If the purpose of Medicaid is to provide people with health care and a certain level of basic economic security, it seems to be succeeding.” [Vox, 8/24/18]
  • Following Medicaid Expansion, The Percentage Of Uninsured Ohioans With Income At Or Below 138 Percent Of FPL Dropped Drastically. See chart below. [Vox, 8/24/18]
  • Researched Published In JAMA Confirms That Medicaid Expansion Increased Access To Opioid Treatment. “Medicaid expansion significantly increased buprenorphine with naloxone prescriptions per 100 000 county residents in expansion counties, suggesting that expansion improved access to opioid use disorder treatment. Expansion did not significantly increase the overall rate per 100 000 county residents of OPR prescriptions, but increased the population with OPRs paid for by Medicaid. This finding therefore suggests the growing importance of Medicaid in pain management and addiction prevention.” [JAMA, Saloner et. al, 8/17/18]
  • Health Affairs Study Finds Low-Income People More Able To Afford Diabetes Medications And Manage Disease In Expansion States. “Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and manage their disease in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, a new study suggests. The Health Affairs study, released Monday afternoon, found a roughly 40 percent increase in the number of prescriptions filled for diabetes drugs in Medicaid programs of the 30 states (including Washington, D.C.) that expanded eligibility in 2014 and 2015, compared with prior years.By contrast, states that didn’t embrace the Medicaid expansion saw no notable increase.” [Kaiser Health News, 8/6/18]
  • University Of Kansas Research Finds Medicaid Boosts Employment For People With Disabilities. “People with disabilities are much more likely to be employed in states that have expanded Medicaid coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act, new research from the University of Kansas has found. Similarly, the number of those who report not working because of a disability has greatly declined in expansion states. Neither trend happened in states that chose not to expand Medicaid.” [Healthcare Finance News, 7/23/18]

 

protectourcare
In News

New Polls: Health Care Is The Top Issue in Pennsylvania’s Battleground House Districts

Voters Highly Concerned About Health Care and Disapprove of Republican Attacks on Pre-Existing Conditions and the Affordable Care Act

“The new PPP survey…comes amid a surprisingly tight race between Kelly and DiNicola,” says PennLive.

Washington, DC – New Public Policy Polling (PPP) surveys commissioned by Protect Our Care find that health care may be a decisive issue for voters in the Pennsylvania  battlegrounds of PA-10, PA-16 and PA-17. Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement in response to the poll findings:

“It’s clear that Pennsylvanians are deeply concerned about health care. That must worry Scott Perry, Mike Kelly, and Keith Rothfus, who put their party ahead of Pennsylvanians when they voted to bring back the age tax, voted to eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions and stood by while the Trump Administration went to court to throw our health care overboard.”

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll PA-10

  • Health care is an important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 56% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
  • Pennsylvanians are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 62% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 57% of voters.
  • 57% oppose the Trump administration lawsuit to eliminate the health care law’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including a 42% plurality of Republicans. Pennsylvanians are also less likely to vote for Republicans who stayed silent on this lawsuit. A plurality of voters (42%) say they are less likely to vote for Congressman Perry because of his silence on the lawsuit.

 

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll PA-16

  • Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 58% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
  • Pennsylvanians are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 60% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 62% of voters.
  • 57% oppose the Trump administration lawsuit to eliminate the health care law’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including a 41% plurality of Republicans. Pennsylvanians are also less likely to vote for Republicans who stayed silent on this lawsuit. A plurality of voters (42%) say they are less likely to vote for Congressman Kelly because of his silence on the lawsuit.

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll PA-17

  • Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 60% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
  • Pennsylvanians are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 62% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 63% of voters.
  • 68% oppose the Trump administration lawsuit to eliminate the health care law’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including a 54% majority of Republicans. Pennsylvanians are also less likely to vote for Republicans who stayed silent on this lawsuit. A plurality of voters (47%) say they are less likely to vote for Congressman Rothfus because of his silence on the lawsuit.

 

The PPP-Protect Our Care Polls Mirror Data from Google Trends Showing that Searches for Health Care Dominate across the State — including in PA-10, PA-16 and PA-17.

  • Nearly 60 percent of issue based searches in the counties in PA-17 were on health care.
  • In PA-16, health care is the top ranked search in all three counties, by double-digit margins in all counties.
  • In PA-10, health care is the top ranked search in six out of nine counties, representing 64 – 44% of searches

 

Here’s how the PPP-Protect Our Care polls were covered locally:

PennLive: Access to Healthcare is Driving Voters in this Key Pa. Congressional Race, Poll

New polling data out of Pennsylvania’s surprisingly competitive 16th Congressional District drives that reality home, with a bare majority of voters (51 percent) saying they support keeping, and improving, on the Affordable Care Act.

The new survey by Public Policy Polling also shows voters in the race between GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly and Democrat Ron DiNicola giving a clear thumbs-down on President Donald Trump’s job performance (52-44 percent, disapprove), and a clear majority (57 percent) opposing the White House’s support for a court case seeking to eliminate the healthcare law’s protections for people with preexisting conditions.

Nearly six in 10 of the 659 voters who responded to the push-button poll (58 percent) listed healthcare as either a “very” important or the “most” important issue in this November’s mid-term election. And a clear majority of respondents (54 percent) said they voted for Trump in 2016.

The new PPP survey, conducted in conjunction with the advocacy group, Protect Our Care PA, comes amid a surprisingly tight race between Kelly and DiNicola.

 

ashoup
In News

Kingston Leaders Stand Up to Say, “It’s Time to End the Republican War on Health Care”

Local Health Care Advocates Join Protect Our Care to Call for an End to GOP Attacks on New Yorkers’ Health Care

View photos of today’s event here.

KINGSTON, NEW YORK- This morning, Protect Our Care’s nationwide bus tour arrived in Kingston to call attention to the ongoing Republican war on health care care. Headlined by Assemblymember Kevin Cahill, small business owner Pat Strong, and cancer survivor Laura Packard, the event highlighted the actions Republicans are taking to harm New Yorkers’ care and called on Republicans to work instead to protect our health care.

“I’m alive because of the Affordable Care Act,” said Packard. “I’m a stage four cancer survivor and I’m on this tour to defend our attacks against the GOP. President Trump may have blocked me on Twitter, but he can’t stop me and the American people from fighting to protect our care.”

Her sentiments were echoed by Assemblymember Cahill:

“We in New York state have been doing our part to make sure the protections in the Affordable Care Act remain in New York state and we are committed to making sure every New Yorker has access to health care,” said Assemblymember Cahill. Health champions in the legislature expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and as a result an additional 143,000 New Yorkers have gained coverage. “The policies we’re so upset about coming out of the White House are also the policies of this Congress, and we need to fight back,” he said.

Indeed, small business owner Pat Strong spoke of her struggles to afford quality insurance. “Our premiums are too high and we’re struggling with prescription drug costs,“ she said. Because of Republican sabotage, it is estimated that New Yorkers will see their premiums rise by an average of 8.6 percent next year. And if the U.S. House of Representatives-passed American Health Care Act had become law, out of pocket costs for older people could have increased by as much as $3,679 by 2026 in New York.

“A few weeks ago, a column ran that said: Get sick, go broke, and die. And that really is the Republican agenda,” said local resident Paul Cooper, who emphasized that he is “angry” about the continued attacks on health care. Republicans in Washington have cut hundreds of billions of dollars have been cut from Medicare and Medicaid.

Later today, “Care Force One” will head to Binghamton, where Protect Our Care will be joined by Ron Deutsch, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, Julie Weisburg of Family Planning Advocates of South Central New York, Jim Carr of the New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, and New Yorkers Linda Quilty and Mike Hermann. For more information, please visit protectourcarebustour.com.

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In News

New Polls, New Data: Health Care is a Top Issue in Texas’s Battleground House Districts

Voters Disapprove of Republican Attacks on Pre-Existing Conditions and Incumbents’’ Pro-Repeal Record, Say They Want Affordable Care Act Improved Rather than Repealed, and Trust Democrats More Than Republicans With Their Health Care

“The 7th Congressional District – stretching west from some of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods into the Harris County suburbs – has become critical turf in the November midterm elections,” says the Houston Chronicle

Texas Congressional District 32 is “the most competitive race in North Texas,” says ABC News in Dallas

Washington, DC – New Public Policy Polling (PPP) surveys commissioned by Protect Our Care find that health care may be a decisive issue for voters in the Texas battlegrounds of TX-07 and TX-32. Said Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, in response to the poll findings:

“From their repeated votes to repeal protections for people with pre-existing conditions, to their votes to allow insurance companies to charge people over 50 five times more for healthcare, Pete Sessions and John Culbertson’s repeal-and-sabotage records are out of step with Texas voters, who say that health care is one of the most important issues to them this election.”

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll in TX-07

  • Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 65% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
  • Texans are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 58% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 61% of voters.
  • In a preview of the November election, Democrat Lizzie Pannill Fletcher holds a slight lead over Republican John Culberson, 47-45.

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll in TX-32

  • Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 66% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
  • Texans are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 58% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 61% of voters.
  • In a preview of the November election, Democrat Colin Allred has a lead over Republican Pete Sessions, 47-42.

The PPP-Protect Our Care Polls Mirror Data from Google Trends Showing that Searches for Health Care Dominate across the State — including in TX-07 and TX-32.

  • In Dallas County (TX-32), 46 percent of all issue searches were on health care; the next highest immigration (34 percent).
  • In Harris County (TX-07), 41 percent of all issue searches were on health care; the next highest was immigration (37 percent).
  • In a preview of the November election, Democrat Colin Allred has a lead over Republican Pete Sessions, 47-42.

Here’s how the PPP-Protect Our Care polls were covered locally:

 

Qurorum Report: PPP Poll Shows both Sessions and Culberson Trailing Challengers

“A new round of polling out from Public Policy Polling finds both Representatives Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, and John Culberson, R-Houston, trailing their Democratic opponents Colin Allred and Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, respectively.

“[…] 66% of those surveyed in Sessions’ district said health care is either the most important or a very important issue when choosing who to vote for. 58% of voters think charging those over age 50 more than the young for health insurance is a major concern.

“Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 61% of voters in Sessions’ district.

“Similar numbers appeared in Harris County, where 65% said health care was either the most important or a very important issue. 61% of voters there felt eliminating protections for people with pre-exisitng conditions is a major concern.”

Texas Tribune’s Patrick Svitek:

ashoup
In News, Statement

Protect Our Care Missouri Statement on Dishonest Josh Hawley Ad

Kansas City, MO – Following Josh Hawley’s latest ad, Protect Our Care Missouri spokesperson Tom Bastian released the following statement:

“Coming just days after his office participated in an all-out attack on these same consumer protections in a Texas courtroom, Josh Hawley’s lies are an insult to every Missourian with a pre-existing condition, and an affront to the voters he purports to represent. Before he spends one more dollar to keep this misleading ad on the air, Attorney General Hawley should withdraw from the GOP strikedown lawsuit and apologize for putting people with pre-existing conditions at risk.”

ashoup
In News

State Representatives Join Former Mayor Baldacci and Mainers to Demand that Republicans #ProtectOurCare

“Care Force One” Makes Stop in Bangor on National Bus Tour

Bangor, ME – Today, State Representatives Steve Stanley, Anne Perry, and Ryan Tipping joined former Mayor Joe Baldacci and Mainers with pre-existing conditions at Waterfront Park in Bangor to speak out against the devastating repercussions of health care repeal.

The event was part of Protect Our Care’s nationwide bus tour calling attention to Republicans’ attempts to sabotage health care, including a lawsuit signed by Governor Paul LePage that would gut protections for Mainers with pre-existing conditions and Rep. Bruce Poliquin’s (ME-02) repeated attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The 548,000 Mainers living with a pre-existing condition would be in jeopardy if a judge sides with Paul LePage, President Trump, and the GOP in their lawsuit. What’s more, 70,000 Mainers have been denied access to affordable health coverage through Governor LePage’s refusal to expand Medicaid.

“Our message today is that Senator Collins and Congressman Poliquin need to listen to the people of Maine and their needs,” said former Bangor Mayor Joe Baldacci. “There are hundreds of thousands of people who benefit from the all the protections provided under the ACA. The economy of rural Maine will take a devastating blow if it is repealed. So I stand here today to say this is what is right for the people of Maine.”

Ashley Homstead, who works in the recovery community, said, “If I didn’t get the treatment I needed when I was younger, I would not be here today. Today, I work with women on the waitlist waiting for treatment. I have 43 women on my waitlist, 36 of which do not have insurance, and I can guarantee you they’d be eligible for Medicaid if it were to expand. When you’re thinking about the ACA and expanding Medicaid, think about these women and their families.”

“I was diagnosed with a pre-existing when I was 17, before the ACA,” said Kristen Nilsen, a mental health counselor. “A few years later when I was in between jobs, the only coverage available to me – because of the pre-existing condition in my medical history – was $1,500 a month. I had to go without health insurance because I needed to put food on the table.”

State Representative Anne Perry highlighted the importance of expanding Medicaid in the state, adding, “We cannot afford to go back to the way things were. We were in trouble before the ACA.” State Representative Ryan Tipping concluded the event by saying, “we should be moving forward, making sure care is more affordable and more available. We shouldn’t be moving backwards. Call Senator Collins and Representative Poliquin and tell them to stop this attack on health care throughout the country.”

“The stakes have never been higher for Mainers’ health care,” said TJ Helmstetter of Protect Our Care. “Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, almost 70,000 Mainers have gained health insurance. This is all in jeopardy due to Republicans’ repeal and sabotage agenda, including Governor LePage’s ludicrous lawsuit and Rep. Poliquin’s vote to repeal health care. Mainers want this Republican war on health care to end, plain and simple. That’s why we’re here today.”

You can watch the full video here. The bus now travels to New York for an event tomorrow. More details but upcoming stops can be found here.

 

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