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In News

SHOT/CHASER: House Republicans Face Heat From Their Own Constituents on Medicaid Cuts

SHOT: Republicans in Congress Now Represent Areas of the Country Where Medicaid Matters the Most. CNN Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein appeared on Inside Politics with Manu Raju, “Dozens of House Republicans now represent districts where more people than average rely on Medicaid…those are the places that are most vulnerable if health care coverage is rescinded or revoked…There really is no way for Republicans to cut Medicaid, particularly at the Magnitude they’re talking about, without imposing serious costs on their own voters.” [CNN, 3/7/25].

SHOT: Polling Confirms That Both Republicans and Democrats Oppose Cuts to Medicaid. According to a new KFF poll, more than half of Americans, 53 percent, say they or a family member have been covered by Medicaid. In fact, fewer than one in five adults (17%) want to see Medicaid funding decreased, most think funding should either increase (42%) or be kept about the same (40%). [KFF, 3/7/25]

CHASER: Protect Our Care Is Running New Ads Featuring Lifelong Republican and Trump Voter Calling Out GOP Attempts to Cut Medicaid. An ad blitz featuring a Trump-voter calls on House Republicans to stop the cuts to Medicaid. “Look, I’m a Republican. I voted for Donald Trump. But Medicaid should not be a political thing. They need to know cutting it will hurt all of us.” [Fox, 3/11/25].

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In News

FACT SHEET: Health Care For Over 160 Million Americans At Risk Under Unqualified Grifter Dr. Mehmet Oz

On Friday, March 14th, Dr. Mehmet Oz faces his confirmation hearing to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). A staunch MAGA loyalist, Dr. Oz has a close relationship with Trump’s extreme Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and has promoted his dangerous anti-vaccine conspiracy theories on his show. Like Trump, Dr. Oz is a shameless grifter and TV personality who rose to fame promoting dozens of health scams on his TV show – including one that led to a multimillion-dollar class action settlement for false advertising. The American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics has called him “a dangerous rogue unfit for the office of America’s doctor.” 

More than 160 million Americans depend on the programs administered by CMS. Trump has given Dr. Oz a mandate to slash Medicaid and Medicare. Oz has a record of pushing to gut Medicare and force seniors on to expensive privatized plans that would limit what doctors they can see, deny them care, and cost taxpayers more, only to funnel $200 billion in taxpayer dollars to massive insurance companies and push Medicare towards bankruptcy, without improving care or lowering costs. He even opposes the Affordable Care Act and said he would have voted against it. With Dr. Oz and RFK Jr. in charge of  the country’s health care sector and the programs that provide health care to millions of Americans, the second Trump administration will drive up costs and put the care and health of seniors, children, working families, and millions more in jeopardy.

Dr. Oz Will Push To Gut Medicare and Push Seniors Onto Expensive Privatized Plans. As head of CMS, Oz would oversee Medicare, which covers over 67 million seniors and people with disabilities. In Trump’s announcement of his intention to appoint Oz as CMS administrator, he suggested cuts to Medicare would be on the table: “[Oz] will also cut waste and fraud within our Country’s most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation’s Healthcare spend, and a quarter of our entire National Budget.” Republicans often cloak health care cuts as cutting “waste and abuse” while actually risking care for people who need it. Oz previously praised a plan from Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) which would have ended funding for all federal programs, including Medicare, in five years without Congressional action.

In 2022, Oz also staked his Senate campaign on forcing millions of seniors off of traditional Medicare and onto privatized plans – a policy right out of Project 2025. He touted his plan as “Medicare Advantage For All,” even though these plans limit what doctors patients can see, deny patients care, cost taxpayers more, give $200 billion away annually to big insurance companies, and push Medicare towards bankruptcy. Experts estimate that if Medicare Advantage (MA) rose to 75 percent of Medicare enrollment, the program would waste nearly $2 trillion over 10 years on excess payments to these private plans “without any real improvement in health care quality for enrollees.” Even now, as lawmakers have worked to rein in overpayments, some MA plans are prioritizing shareholders over patients by decreasing benefits; of the 25 MA parent organizations by number of plan offerings, 76 percent are decreasing their offerings ahead of the upcoming open enrollment period. MA plans are also known to systematically underpay rural providers and deny coverage to rural Americans. Pushing seniors to MA plans would put rural hospitals at risk of closing and seniors at risk of losing access to care.

Dr. Oz has also benefited from promoting MA plans. A for-profit company operating a MA call center, TZ Insurance Solutions, paid to be featured on Dr. Oz’s YouTube show. Later, he became a broker himself, allowing Oz to sell plans directly to viewers.

Dr. Oz Opposes The Affordable Care Act. After he launched his 2022 Senate campaign as a Republican, Oz called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) “wrong,” and said he “would not have voted for Obamacare.” As head of CMS, Oz would be responsible for implementing the ACA’s consumer protections and regulating state Health Insurance Marketplaces.

  • Dr. Oz Believes “Americans Don’t Have The Right To Health.” In a 2013 speech to Republican governors, Oz proclaimed, “[Americans] don’t have the right to health, but they have a right to access — a chance to get that health,” revealing his belief that only Americans who can afford top-tier health insurance deserve quality care.

Dr. Oz Is A Staunch Trump Loyalist and “Friend” To RFK Jr. Oz has always been a Trump loyalist, receiving Trump’s endorsement during his 2022 Senate run after going to “extensive lengths to win over the former president” and his relationship with RFK Jr. goes back at least 10 years to when Oz hosted him on his TV show to spread anti-vaccine misinformation. After Trump announced his selection of Oz for CMS, RFK Jr. proudly posted on X, “Very excited that my friend @DrOz has agreed to run CMS. Thank you ​@realDonaldTrump for this outstanding nomination. Welcome Dr​. Oz to ​The Avengers. ​Let’s Make America Healthy Again!” 

Just Like RFK Jr., Dr. Oz Has Spent His Career Pushing Pseudoscience. Oz has a long record of grifting dietary supplements unsupported by scientific evidence and recommending at-home ailments based on alarming pseudoscience.

  • In 2012, Oz claimed that selenium supplements were “the holy grail of cancer prevention,” with no scientific evidence to back the claim. Instead, studies have found that high rates of selenium intake can cause severe heart problems.
  • In February 2012, Oz baselessly claimed that raspberry ketones were “the No. 1 miracle in a bottle to burn your fat.” As the Public Affairs Council found, “There is a total lack of research on raspberry ketones’ effects on fat loss.”
  • In 2014, Oz encouraged his followers to try using strawberries and baking soda to whiten teeth, even though studies have found that the mixture may harm tooth health.
  • In 2015, Oz baselessly claimed that umckaloabo root extract was “incredibly effective at relieving cold symptoms,” even though the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that “there’s a lack of reliable studies on the benefits of these products.”
  • In 2018, Oz tweeted a bizarre pseudoscientific claim that astrological signs “may reveal a great deal about our health.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, Oz even pushed unproven DIY treatments for the virus, publicly claiming that antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine could be an effective treatment.

Dr. Oz Pushed Dietary Supplements Falsely Promising Weight Loss, Leading To A Multi-Million Dollar False Advertising Settlement. In July 2018, Oz reached a $5.25 million legal settlement in a class action lawsuit against him for pushing green coffee extract dietary supplements he promised had weight loss benefits. On his TV show, Oz promised that the supplements were a “magic weight-loss cure” and “revolutionary fat buster” despite having no scientific evidence to back his claims. Oz testified before Congress on false advertising in the diet and weight-loss industry four years prior. During the hearing, Oz attempted to defend his products to no avail; as one Senator pointed out, “the scientific community is almost monolithic against you.”

Dr. Oz Holds Extreme Anti-Abortion Views. Oz made it clear he opposed Roe v. Wade’s federal abortion protections. During a 2022 debate, when asked about reproductive health care access, Oz declared, “There should not be involvement from the federal government in how states decide their abortion decisions…I want women, doctors, local political leaders, letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves.”

Dr. Oz Financial Disclosure Reveals Conflicts of Interest. Dr. Oz disclosed that he has stocks and interest in more than 70 medical companies, including $600,000 in stocks for the country’s largest provider of MA plans — UnitedHealth Group. Oz said that he would sell these interests, alongside other paid advisory positions and holdings in medical technology groups. However, Oz Works and Oz Property Holdings, two limited liability companies, will remain active and Oz will maintain an official position in some capacity. Law and ethics experts have cast doubt on Oz’s ability to remain independent from his previous endorsements and business ventures.

ashoup
In News

TOMORROW: Coalition of Health and Civil Rights Organizations Discuss Impact of the Budget Resolution’s Medicaid Cuts

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Contact: Maddie Twomey, [email protected]

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 13 AT 10:00 AM ET***

Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, March 13, at 10:00 AM ET, the Congressional Tri-Caucus, which includes the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, along with a coalition of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations and health equity advocates, will hold a virtual joint press briefing highlighting the devastating impact of proposed Medicaid cuts on the health and financial security of more than 70 million Americans, their communities and our shared economy. This includes nearly a third of all people of color in the U.S. or 42 million people.

WHO:
U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-2), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Health Braintrust
U.S. Representative Grace Meng (D-NY-6), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC)
U.S. Representative Darren Soto (D-FL-9), deputy chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC)
Janet Murguía, president and CEO, UnidosUS
Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, NAACP
Juliet K. Choi, president and CEO, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
Marc Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League (NUL)
Maya Wiley, president and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Shavon Arline-Bradley, president and CEO, National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)
Deborah Weinstein, executive director, Coalition on Human Needs (CHN)
Brad Woodhouse, executive director, Protect Our Care (POC)
Anthony Wright, executive director, Families USA 

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference

WHEN: Thursday, March 13, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET   

WHERE: Journalists can RSVP for the virtual press event via this link by Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 5:00 pm ET.

###

ashoup
In News

FACT SHEET: Medicaid Expansion Is A Lifeline For Millions of Families – But Republicans Want to End it to Fund Tax Breaks For The Ultrawealthy

This Week, Protect Our Care Highlights the Importance of Medicaid Expansion As Part of the “Hands Off Medicaid” Campaign 

As the Affordable Care Act nears its 15th anniversary this month, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have pledged to slash Medicaid funding by nearly $1 trillion, threatening to end Medicaid expansion in 40 states and the District of Columbia. Medicaid expansion is among the crowning achievements of the ACA, and Republican plans could rip away care from upwards of 21 million Americans who are covered through it, causing them to lose access to essential services such as nursing home care and prescription drug coverage. Many states would be unable to offer expanded Medicaid eligibility without federal funding and others would would face huge financial burdens and would be forced to seek alternative funding sources by raising taxes, cutting other parts of their budgets such as K-12 education, or making changes to Medicaid eligibility and benefits, leading to thousands of Americans losing essential health care.

Health care is on the GOP chopping block – whether it’s at the state level where Republican lawmakers in 10 states continue to refuse to expand Medicaid or in Congress where Republicans have released plan after plan after plan that would cut Medicaid expansion funding by billions. Trump has also promised to follow through on his plan to repeal the ACA entirely. 

Protect Our Care is continuing its “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign with theme weeks to underscore the importance of Medicaid across the country. Alongside partners, lawmakers, and other advocates, Protect Our Care is working to defend Medicaid from the Republican-led plan to slash funding to pay for another round of tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. This week’s focus is the importance of Medicaid expansion. Read more here. 

Medicaid Expansion Saves Lives, Lowers Costs, and Reduces Inequality

Every Year Thousands Of Lives Are Saved Thanks To The Access Medicaid Expansion Provides To Quality Health Care. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Medicaid expansion saved the lives of 19,200 older adults aged 55 to 64 between 2014 and 2017. At the same time,15,600 older adults died prematurely as a result of their states’ decision not to expand the program. A study published in the Journal of Health Economics found that Medicaid expansion reduced mortality in non-elderly adults by nearly four percent.

Cancer Is Detected Earlier And Treated Sooner In States Which Expanded Medicaid. Study after study has shown that Medicaid expansion has been proven to help detect, treat, and lower the risk of mortality of cancer when compared to non-expansion states. A September 2022 study found that states that expanded Medicaid were able to detect and treat patients with colon cancer earlier than those in non-expansion states. Similarly, a 2020 study found that patients with breast, colorectal, or lung cancers had a decreased mortality rate in states that have expanded Medicaid. Medicaid expansion has also been linked with increased rates of early cancer detection and reduced late stage cancer incidence. It is paramount that the 12 non-expansion states expand Medicaid to help the estimated 1.9 million Americans diagnosed with cancer in 2022.  

Expanding Medicaid Not Only Increases Access To Care But Also Boosts Employment In States Which Have Adopted It. Reports from Ohio and Michigan found that Medicaid expansion helped enrollees hold down jobs and look for work. Relatedly, a study from the University of Kansas found that people with disabilities are much more likely to be employed in states that have expanded Medicaid coverage. Additionally, the number of people who report not working because of a disability declined in expansion states.  

More Americans Are Able To Access Medical Services In States Which Have Expanded Medicaid, Leading To Better Diagnoses And Treatments. Medicaid expansion has helped patients access preventative care, including colon cancer screenings. Expansion also increased patient access to kidney transplants and made diabetes medication more affordable for low-income patients. The program was also tied to earlier diagnosis of colorectal cancer and reducing diabetes-related amputations.

Americans In States Which Have Expanded Medicaid Have Lower Medical Debt Than Those Who Don’t. Access to Medicaid means access to high quality coverage and extremely low cost sharing, without the premiums. As a result, Medicaid eliminates the types of medical costs that can lead to unpaid bills and medical debt. This also correlates to people requiring less assistance in other areas, with the adoption of expansion leading to thousands of fewer evictions annually in states according to a California study Over the past decade, research has shown the gap in medical debt between Medicaid expansion and holdout states has grown approximately 30 percent. In 2020, Americans living in holdout states carried an average of $375 more in medical debt than their counterparts in expansion states. 

Access To Primary Care And Family Planning Is More Available To Americans In States Which Have Expanded Medicaid. Two studies from Michigan showed that Medicaid expansion doubled low-income patients’ access to primary care and enrollees experienced improved access to birth control and family planning. 

Income Inequality Is Greater In States Which Have Refused To Expand Medicaid Compared To Those Which Have. A January 2021 study found that the ACA helped reduce income inequality across the board, but much more dramatically in Medicaid expansion states. The bottom 10th percentile of earners In Medicaid expansion states saw a 22.4 percent boost in their income, compared to 11.4 percent in non-expansion states. A study in Health Affairs found that Medicaid Expansion also caused a “significant” reduction in poverty. 

What’s At Risk if Republicans Succeed in Gutting Medicaid Expansion

Around 4 Million Americans Could Have Their Insurance Taken Away Immediately After Republicans Sign Medicaid Expansion Cuts Into Law. Currently there are 12 states which have a trigger law in regards to funding for Medicaid Expansion. If Republicans succeed in their plans to gut the program this will mean these states will immediately halt the program, and rip away health care from around 4 million people.

Uninsurance Rates For Children Could Potentially Double If Republicans End Medicaid Expansion. Nationally, 54 percent of American children are covered by Medicaid/CHIP, and child uninsurance rates are nearly twice as high in states which have refused to expand Medicaid. Slashing Medicaid expansion funding would see many of these children become ineligible for low-cost health insurance with no pathway to finding affordable health care.

Over 2 Million Seniors Could See Their Access To Health Care At Risk. When states are forced to cut costs, they could reduce income eligibility levels for seniors leading many to lose their coverage. The ACA’s Medicaid expansion covers 21 million people, including many older adults not yet eligible for Medicare. Eliminating the expansion would leave these seniors with few options to turn to, potentially causing them to lose their coverage entirely.

Millions of Mothers in 47 States Could Lose Extended Postpartum Coverage. With one in three pregnancy-related deaths occurring between six weeks and one year after birth, expanding postpartum coverage is an essential step toward solving our country’s maternal mortality crisis. As of September 2023, 47 states and the District of Columbia have expanded or are planning to expand full Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum. Three states have yet to expand postpartum care, leading to dire circumstances for birthing people further exacerbating the already existing crises of care in the states. Republican attempts to slash Medicaid will lead to national maternal mortality rates more similar to Arkansas, which has the highest maternal mortality rate in the country and the overall number of deaths per 100,000 live births has more than doubled in the past twenty years, than it would any other developed nation.

Rural Americans and the Hospitals They Go To Would Be Left Behind By Republicans Working To Make The Rich Richer. If Republicans cut Medicaid expansion, rural hospitals across the country will be at risk. Nearly 14 million Medicaid enrollees reside in rural areas. Medicaid helps fund rural hospitals, which employ six percent of all employees in rural counties that report having any hospital employment. Rural hospitals in Medicaid expansion states are 62 percent less likely to close. Nearly 750 rural hospitals are currently at risk of closure, hundreds of which are in non-expansion states. From 2010 to 2022, over 130 rural hospitals have closed.

Medicaid’s Assistance For Those With Substance Use Disorders Would Substantially Diminish. Nationally, around 12 percent of Medicaid enrollees over 18 have some kind of substance use disorder (SUD). Medicaid expansion is crucial to building a system of comprehensive substance use care, investing billions annually into substance use disorder treatment making it the primary government program on the front lines of the opioid epidemic. After expanding Medicaid in 2014, Kentucky saw a 700 percent increase in enrollees using SUD treatment services and across the board expanding Medicaid has seen medication-assisted treatment increase by 50 percent. The uninsurance rate for those experiencing opioid-related hospitalizations also fell by 78.4 percent in states after they adopted Medicaid expansion. These interventions have been vital and life saving, with one study finding that around 10,000 lives were saved from fatal opioid overdoses as a direct result of Medicaid expansion alone. Cutting Medicaid, put simply, would increase overdoses and decrease treatment options for thousands of Americans.

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In News

FACT SHEET: Trump’s CDC Director Nominee David Weldon Is An Anti-Vaccine Extremist

This week, Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dave Weldon, faces a Senate confirmation hearing. As a measles outbreak continues to spread throughout the Southwest, alongside a historically bad flu season and a raging bird flu epidemic that has infected dozens of Americans, Republicans are poised to empower an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist who has voiced plans to upend vaccine safety review and recommendation protocols. During his hearing, Weldon will have to answer for the Trump White House’s past suggestions that they plan to severely cut and even eliminate the CDC altogether. As CDC Director, Weldon would wield significant power to delay and veto vaccine approvals, spread misinformation, and cripple the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dave Weldon at the helm, American lives are at risk.

The CDC “Is In Big Trouble” With Former Republican Congressman David Weldon In Charge. Weldon is a former GOP member of Congress from Florida; he spent nearly 15 years in Congress from 1995 to 2009 and served as a member of the hard-right Republican Study Committee.  Trump’s nomination announcement proudly proclaimed, “Dave will proudly restore the CDC to its true purpose, and will work to end the Chronic Disease Epidemic,” even though rumors have circulated for weeks that the Trump White House has plans to severely cut or eliminate the CDC altogether. One reporter wrote that the CDC “is in big trouble” with Weldon in charge.

Weldon Supports Dangerous Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy Theories Just Like RFK Jr. Ever since Trump nominated Weldon, health experts have raised alarms about him being a “persistent skeptic” of vaccines. Most notably, Weldon has argued time and again that there are links between vaccines and autism. He has pushed unfounded concerns about a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, and also spread an unfounded conspiracy theory that thimerosal, a preservative formerly used in some vaccines, led to autism – despite a complete lack of evidence linking the MMR vaccine or thimerosal to the development of autism. When confronted with evidence to the contrary, Weldon stated that the report was “perilously reliant on epidemiology, based on preliminary incomplete information, and may ultimately be repudiated.” He has also implied that there might be “some underlying trait” in certain children that could be activated through vaccination – a completely baseless claim. Under anti-vaccine extremist RFK Jr.’s leadership as HHS Secretary, the CDC is already moving ahead with an unnecessary conspiracy-fueled study into vaccines and autism in keeping with Weldon and Kennedy’s anti-vaccine beliefs.

Weldon Has Big Plans To Revamp Vaccine Recommendations – With Far-Reaching Consequences For Hundreds of Millions of Americans. Weldon has expressed interest in completely revamping vaccine safety review and recommendation protocols. While in Congress, Weldon introduced legislation shifting responsibility for vaccine safety from the CDC to a new independent agency within HHS, and he has repeatedly voiced “serious reservations about the independence of the federal government’s vaccine safety review process,” as far back as 2007: “Federal agencies charged with overseeing vaccine safety research have failed. They have failed to provide sufficient resources for vaccine safety research. They have failed to adequately fund extramural research. And, they have failed to free themselves from conflicts of interest that serve to undermine public confidence in the safety of vaccines.” The CDC director has the power to veto the process of recommending vaccines, which is usually guided by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Weldon’s nomination could have huge consequences for hundreds of millions of Americans; under the Affordable Care Act, health insurers are required to cover all vaccines recommended by ACIP for free, and the Inflation Reduction Act expanded the slate of free vaccines to people on Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP.

Weldon Is An Anti-Choice Extremist Who Spearheaded A Key Amendment Used By The First Trump Administration To Withhold Federal Funding From California Over Abortion Care. While serving in Congress, Weldon worked tirelessly on anti-choice efforts. He introduced protections for health care workers and organizations refusing to provide abortions to patients, codified as the Weldon Amendment – which has subsequently been attached to every HHS spending bill in Congress since 2005. The Guttmacher Institute found that the Weldon Amendment “emboldens health insurance plans, health care institutions and medical providers to deny abortion services and coverage … often under the rubric of protecting ‘conscience’ or ‘religious freedom.’” In 2020, the Trump administration even used the Amendment to withhold $200 million in federal Medicaid funds from California, alleging that state-mandated abortion coverage violated the Amendment. Weldon worked to ban late-term abortions and permanently ban patenting human embryos as well. During a 2012 Senate debate, Weldon also argued that abortion access infringes on religious freedoms.

Weldon Is Closely Aligned With HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Not only does Weldon share many of Kennedy’s anti-choice and anti-vaccine beliefs, but Kennedy has also cited Weldon’s advocacy work in his own arguments against the CDC, reportedly referring to the agency as a “subsidiary of the pharmaceutical industry.” A prominent anti-vaccine advocate who worked closely with Kennedy during his 2024 presidential campaign publicly applauded Weldon’s appointment.

While Serving In Congress, Weldon Pushed Legislation To Force A Review of the Terri Schiavo Case Against Schiavo’s Family’s Wishes. In the early 2000s, Weldon introduced legislation to force a review of the case of a Florida woman in a persistent vegetative state, Terri Schiavo, keeping her alive against the wishes of Schiavo’s family. Her husband, Michael, fought the Congressional intervention spearheaded by Weldon, and reportedly said that she “would not have wanted to be kept alive artificially.”

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In News

ROUNDUP: Trump Continues His Fight to Dismantle the Affordable Care Act and Raise Costs on the American People

Yesterday, the Trump administration announced a rule that will kick millions of people off their health care coverage and make it harder for families to enroll through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by shortening the enrollment period and taking away low-income families’ ability to sign up for coverage outside of the six-week enrollment period. The rule establishes more paperwork burdens for enrolling and proving eligibility for tax credits, and targets vulnerable communities that have historically faced barriers to accessing health care by barring immigrants with ‘Dreamer’ status from enrolling in ACA Marketplace plans and banning gender-affirming care from being covered as an essential health benefit.

Millions of Americans depend on the ACA for affordable coverage. In fact, approximately 2 million people will lose their health insurance if this rule goes into effect. Republicans have made it their personal crusade to gut health care to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy, and this is only Trump’s latest attempt to roll back recent achievements in coverage, raise costs for working families, and gut the ACA.

The new rule comes as Republicans continue to refuse to extend a health care tax credit over 20 million Americans rely on, which will force families to pay an average of 90 percent more for their health care and lead an estimated 5 million Americans to lose coverage. 

The Hill: Trump Eyes Slashing ACA Enrollment Period.

  • “ACA enrollment lasts from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15. According to a proposal released on Monday, the Trump administration is calling for this period to be shortened by one month to Dec. 15.”
  • “Remember: During Trump’s first term, he shortened open enrollment to seven weeks and limited outreach, resulting in significant drops in open enrollment. Under the Biden administration, enrollment through the ACA saw consecutive years of record enrollment with 24 million people choosing plans during the most recent open enrollment period. Much of this was credited to expanded ACA subsidies, which are scheduled to expire at the end of this year.”

Axios: Trump Administration Ditches Biden-Era ACA Flexibilities.

  • “The Trump administration wants to roll back Biden-era changes to make signing up for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans easier for certain individuals and limit coverage of gender-affirming care.”
  • “Between 750,000 and 2 million people will lose their health insurance if all the changes are implemented as proposed, CMS wrote in the rule.”

Reuters: Trump Administration Plans to Restrict Obamacare Enrollment Period.

  • “The Trump administration aims to close the enrollment period for Obamacare health insurance plans on December 15, one month earlier than the current deadline, the agency that oversees the program said in a press release.”

KFF Health News: Trump Health Care Proposal Billed as Consumer Protection but Adds Enrollment Hoops.

  • “About 24 million Americans signed up for insurance plans sold under the ACA, known popularly as Obamacare, for 2025. The Biden administration achieved record enrollment levels after increasing premium subsidies for many lower-income people, which resulted in reducing the monthly cost of some plans to $0. It also made it easier for some very low-income people to sign up at any time of year, instead of waiting for an enrollment period each fall.”
  • “‘Under this banner of trying to crack down on the bad actions of some insurance brokers, they are penalizing consumers, particularly low-income consumers, with more burdensome requirements and more limits on their access to coverage,’ said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor and the co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University.”

Bloomberg: Trump Administration Plans to Limit Obamacare Enrollment Period.

  • “The Trump administration is proposing to limit the time frame for people to enroll in health insurance through Affordable Care Act exchanges, according to materials reviewed by Bloomberg News, potentially decreasing the number of people in these types of plans. The annual deadline for people to enroll in health insurance plans is currently Jan. 15, but the Trump administration is proposing regulations that would shorten the enrollment window by a month, to close on Dec. 15 instead. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the insurance marketplaces, will also propose canceling a monthly opportunity for people with incomes below 150% of the federal poverty line to enroll.”

The Hill: Donald Trump Proposes Cutting ACA Enrollment Period, Ending ‘Dreamer’ Coverage.

  • “The sweeping rule gives a glimpse of how the Trump administration will handle the signature health law. The move mirrors one made during President Trump’s first term, when he shortened open enrollment to seven weeks. He also slashed funding for advertising and outreach and allowed ‘skimpy’ short-term plans on the market after he tried and failed to repeal the law. Open enrollment numbers dropped significantly. Under former President Biden, there were a record number of people enrolling in Affordable Care Act plans. Last year, 24 million people chose plans during the most recent open enrollment period, mainly due to expanded tax credits that made plans available to people for little or no monthly premiums.”

Modern Healthcare: Trump Administration Plans To Limit ACA Enrollment Period.

  • “A record 24 million people chose plans on the ACA marketplaces during the most recent open enrollment period, according to CMS. That’s double the number of people enrolled at the start of Biden’s presidency. The Trump administration said that the proposed change of Dec. 15 as the end of the enrollment window will encourage people to stay covered all year long instead of waiting until they are sick to apply.”
  • “The rule would also prohibit insurance plans on the exchanges from providing coverage of gender-affirming care as an essential health benefit.”
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In News

NEW ADS: Lifelong Republican and Trump Voter Calls Out Rep. Newhouse’s Attempts to Cut Medicaid – “Cutting It Will Hurt Us All”

Watch the Dan Newhouse (WA-04) Television and Digital Ad Here. 

Listen to the Dan Newhouse (WA-04) Radio Ad Here.

Washington, D.C. – Protect Our Care is launching new ads featuring a lifelong Republican voter and MAGA supporter who is a certified nurse assistant against any cuts to Medicaid. The new $2 million ad buy targets 10 House Republicans, including Congressman Dan Newhouse, and will run on television, radio, and digital platforms. A recent analysis from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office confirms that the GOP budget proposal would take $880 billion from Medicaid if ratified – taking away health care for seniors in nursing homes, kids with disabilities, and low-income workers who don’t get insurance through their jobs. Many analysts have found that cuts to Medicaid will disproportionately harm Trump voters. New KFF polling confirms that Republicans across the country are against Medicaid cuts, with 67 percent believing Medicaid funding should increase or stay the same. 

This latest effort is part of Protect Our Care’s $10 million dollar “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign which aims to expose Trump and Republicans for slashing Medicaid to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. Protect Our Care is also expanding the paid ad program with conservative radio. 

“If Congressman Newhouse moves forward with these Medicaid cuts, he will be turning his back on his constituents,” said Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse. “This budget is a rip-off. Republicans want to give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations at the expense of hard-working families. Seniors, kids with disabilities, low-income working people and so many others will have their health care taken away if this budget passes. Instead of giving more tax breaks to the top one percent, Republican lawmakers like Rep. Newhouse should consider the devastating impact Medicaid cuts would have on their constituents, even their own voters. Americans across the country and the political spectrum are depending on Republicans to do the right thing and abandon these cuts to Medicaid.”

The ads will launch in the following districts: David Schweikert (AZ-01), David Valadao (CA-22), Young Kim (CA-40), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), and Dan Newhouse (WA-04).

Television and Digital Ad Script for WA-04:

John: I look after seniors here at the nursing home. Most of them pay for it through Medicaid. So if Congress goes through with these big cuts to Medicaid, some of our residents will probably have to leave. Most of them will have nowhere else to go. 

And look, I’m a Republican. I voted for Donald Trump. But Medicaid should not be a political thing. They need to know cutting it will hurt all of us. Congressman Newhouse, we’re all counting on you to stop these cuts to Medicaid. 

Radio Ad Script for WA-04:

John: My name is John. I’ve been Republican my whole life. I’ve voted for Donald Trump but when I hear how Republicans in Congress want to cut Medicaid, that’s just wrong. 

Narrator: Right now, some Republicans in Congress are trying to make major cuts to Medicaid. These cuts could take health care coverage away from millions of veterans, children with disabilities, and seniors in nursing homes. The Republicans who propose them may not realize these Medicaid cuts hurt everyone, including Americans who voted for them. 

John: Medicaid should not be about politics. Too many people rely on it every day for their health care. I’m a Republican and my message to Republicans in Congress is this: stop these cuts to Medicaid.

Narrator: Call Congressman Newhouse at 202-225-5816 and tell him to stop these cuts to Medicaid. Paid for by Save My Care.

ashoup
In News

NEW ADS: Lifelong Republican and Trump Voter Calls Out GOP Attempts to Cut Medicaid – “Cutting It Will Hurt Us All”

Watch All the Television and Digital Ads Here. 

Listen to All the Radio Ads Here.

Washington, D.C. – Protect Our Care is launching new ads featuring a lifelong Republican voter and MAGA supporter who is a certified nurse assistant against any cuts to Medicaid. The new $2 million ad buy targets 10 House Republicans and will run on television, radio, and digital platforms. A recent analysis from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office confirms that the GOP budget proposal would take $880 billion from Medicaid if ratified – taking away health care for seniors in nursing homes, kids with disabilities, and low-income workers who don’t get insurance through their jobs. Many analysts have found that cuts to Medicaid will disproportionately harm Trump voters. New KFF polling confirms that Republicans across the country are against Medicaid cuts, with 67 percent believing Medicaid funding should increase or stay the same. 

This latest effort is part of Protect Our Care’s $10 million dollar “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign exposing the choice between protecting Medicaid or giving away new tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. Protect Our Care is also expanding the paid ad program with conservative radio. 

“If Republicans in Congress move forward with Medicaid cuts, they are turning their backs on their constituents,” said Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse. “This budget is a rip-off. Republicans want to give tax breaks to billionaires and big companies at the expense of hard-working families. Seniors, kids with disabilities, low-income working people and so many others will have their health care taken away if this budget passes. Republican lawmakers need to look their constituents, and even their own voters like John, in the eye to defend this indefensible plan. Americans across the country and across the political spectrum are depending on Republicans to do the right thing and abandon these cuts to Medicaid.”

The ads will launch in the following districts: David Schweikert (AZ-01), David Valadao (CA-22), Young Kim (CA-40), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), and Dan Newhouse (WA-04).

Links to each of the 30-second television and digital ads can be found below:

David Schweikert (AZ-01)
David Valadao (CA-22)
Young Kim (CA-40)
Nick LaLota (NY-01)
Andrew Garbarino (NY-02)
Mike Lawler (NY-17)
Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07)
Rob Bresnahan (PA-08)
Dan Newhouse (WA-04)

Links to each of the 60-second radio ads can be found below:

David Schweikert (AZ-01)
David Valadao (CA-22)
Ken Calvert (CA-41)
Mike Lawler (NY-17)
Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07)
Rob Bresnahan (PA-08)
Dan Newhouse (WA-04)

Sample Television and Digital Ad Script for AZ-01:

John: I look after seniors here at the nursing home. Most of them pay for it through Medicaid. So if Congress goes through with these big cuts to Medicaid, some of our residents will probably have to leave. Most of them will have nowhere else to go. 

And look, I’m a Republican. I voted for Donald Trump. But Medicaid should not be a political thing. They need to know cutting it will hurt all of us. Congressman Schweikert, we’re all counting on you to stop these cuts to Medicaid. 

Sample Radio Ad Script for AZ-01:

John: My name is John. I’ve been Republican my whole life. I’ve voted for Donald Trump but when I hear how Republicans in Congress want to cut Medicaid, that’s just wrong. 

Narrator: Right now, some Republicans in Congress are trying to make major cuts to Medicaid. These cuts could take health care coverage away from millions of veterans, children with disabilities, and seniors in nursing homes. The Republicans who propose them may not realize these Medicaid cuts hurt everyone, including Americans who voted for them. 

John: Medicaid should not be about politics. Too many people rely on it every day for their health care. I’m a Republican and my message to Republicans in Congress is this: stop these cuts to Medicaid.

Narrator: Call Congressman Schweikert at 202-225-2190 and tell him to stop these cuts to Medicaid. Paid for by Save My Care.

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In News

SHOT/CHASER: Senator Cassidy Got Played: Measles Infections Rise As RFK Continues to Undermine Vaccine Access

Senator Cassidy (R-LA) and His Other Republican Colleagues Who Bought What RFK Jr. Was Selling Will Bear Responsibility For More Sick and Dead Americans.

As Texas faces a major Measles outbreak, Kennedy is downplaying the outbreak, describing it as “not unusual,” and continues to inject more unwarranted and dangerous skepticism about the safe and effective measles vaccine, which eliminated the disease from the United States in 2000. Even worse: RFK Jr. is terminating funding designed to increase vaccination rates and save lives. Despite Senator Bill Cassidy’s promise to hold RFK Jr. accountable, he has been silent. 

SHOT: RFK Jr. Is Blaming The Texas Measles Outbreak On Diet and Health, Offering Quack Remedies Instead of Promoting Vaccination. “In a sweeping interview, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary, outlined a strategy for containing the measles outbreak in West Texas that strayed far from mainstream science, relying heavily on fringe theories about prevention and treatments. He issued a muffled call for vaccinations in the affected community, but said the choice was a personal one. He suggested that measles vaccine injuries were more common than known, contrary to extensive research. He asserted that natural immunity to measles, gained through infection, somehow also protected against cancer and heart disease, a claim not supported by research. He cheered on questionable treatments like cod liver oil, and said that local doctors had achieved ‘almost miraculous and instantaneous’ recoveries with steroids or antibiotics.” [The New York Times, 3/11/25]

CHASER: Senator Cassidy Does Nothing Despite Promising To Use Oversight Authority To Investigate RFK Jr. If He Attempted To Revoke Vaccine Access or “Wrongfully Sow Public Fear About Vaccines.” “‘If Mr. Kennedy is confirmed, I will use my authority as Chairman of the Senate Committee with oversight of HHS to rebuff any attempts to remove the public’s access to life-saving vaccines without ironclad, causational scientific evidence that can be defended before the mainstream scientific community and before Congress,’ Cassidy said. ‘I will carefully watch for any effort to wrongfully sow public fear about vaccines between confusing references of coincidence and anecdote.’” [Chief Health Care Executive, 2/11/25]

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In News

STATEMENT: Trump Puts Coverage for Millions in Jeopardy In Latest Attempt to Sabotage the ACA

The Republican War on Health Care is Alive and Well 

Washington, D.C. – The Trump administration has announced a rule that will make it harder for families to enroll in affordable health care coverage. The rule shortens the Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period by one month and ends the ability for low-income families to sign up monthly instead of waiting for the enrollment period in the fall. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), between 750,000 and 2 million people will lose their health insurance if this rule goes into effect. The news comes as Republicans continue to block efforts to stop premiums from skyrocketing at the end of this year. Read more about the tax credits here. In response, Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse issued a statement:

“Another day, another attempt by Donald Trump to sabotage our health care system, raise costs, and rip away coverage. Millions of Americans depend on the ACA for affordable coverage, but Republicans want to take it away in their crusade to gut health care to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy. Trump is trying to finish what he started in his first term at the expense of hard-working families across the country.”

BACKGROUND

Axios: Trump Administration Ditches Biden-Era ACA Flexibilities

Reuters: Trump Administration Plans to Restrict Obamacare Enrollment Period

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