Washington, DC – After Donald Trump again insulted the memory of the late senator John McCain today over his vote to stop health care repeal Protect Our Care chair Leslie Dach released the following statement:
“Donald Trump’s latest attack against John McCain is a clear reminder that he remains obsessed with repealing and sabotaging our health care. The president is so intent on repealing health care protections, including those for people with pre-existing conditions, that he’s doubled down on his revenge vendetta against a true American war hero.”
Washington, DC– Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, issued a statement on the passing of former Michigan Congressman and Dean of the House John Dingell, Jr. yesterday evening:
“We express our deepest condolences to the Dingell family during this painful time. John Dingell was a health care champion. In 1955, he introduced a bill for universal health coverage. In 1965 he presided over the House as Medicare became law. In 2009 he was the primary House sponsor of the Affordable Care Act. Every day of his 59 years in the House, he fought for better health care for America. We all owe him our gratitude. His six decades of leadership and his unique sense of humor will be greatly missed.”
Washington DC — Today, the world comes together once again to recognize World Cancer Day. As we unite our voices to raise awareness, we also call on the Administration to end their attacks on pre-existing conditions and affordable comprehensive health care for cancer patients and survivors. Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement:
“Sadly, cancer has devastated the lives of millions of Americans and has left many wondering how they’ll access and pay for their life-saving care. Over the past two years, President Trump has worked nonstop to sabotage protections for coverage for pre-existing conditions, making life even more difficult for cancer patients and survivors. The GOP lawsuit to “terminate” the ACA is President Trump’s latest attempt to roll back the clock and strip Americans of their health care. If this misguided ruling isn’t overturned, Republicans will succeed in striking down the ACA and gutting key protections for millions of Americans. On this World Cancer Day, Trump and his Republican allies ought to end their war on pre-existing conditions and instead put their efforts into fighting the war on cancer.”
Background:
As Outlined In An Amicus Brief Written By The American Cancer Society, The Affordable Care Act Has Increased Cancer Patients’ Access To Potentially Life-Saving Health Care. “However, the ACA greatly improved this situation. After the ACA was enacted, the uninsured rate among nonelderly patients with newly diagnosed cancer declined substantially, especially among low-income people who resided in Medicaid expansion states—where it decreased 6 percent. This increase in coverage affects health outcomes—a small but statistically significant shift was found toward early-stage diagnosis for colorectal, lung, female breast, and pancreatic cancer and melanoma in patients in expansion states. Similarly, the ACA coverage expansion for dependent children up to age 26 has increased the insurance coverage rate among that population, had positive effect on initiation and completion of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, early diagnosis and receipt of fertility-sparing treatments for cervical cancer, and increased early-stage diagnosis for total cancer and osseous and chondromatous neoplasms among young adults 19 to 25 years old. The proportion of cancer survivors reporting delayed or forgone care and inability to afford health care services also significantly decreased during implementation of the ACA from 2010 to 2016. Overall, the uninsured rate for cancer survivors decreased from 12.4 percent (pre-full ACA implementation, 2012) to 7.7 percent (post-full ACA implementation, 2015).” [American Cancer Society, 6/14/18]
Similarly, The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid Expansion Has Helped Cancer Patients See Increased Coverage For Care. “The number of uninsured cancer patients dropped in both expanded and non-expanded states from 2011 to 2014, but expansion states experienced a steeper decline. In expanded states, the uninsured rate declined a relative 52 percent, from 4.4 to 2.1 percent while Medicaid enrollment rose from 15.2 to 18.0 percent (p < 0.0001). In non-expansion states, the uninsured rate dropped a relative five percent (8.4 to 8.0 percent).” [American Society For Radiation Oncology, 9/25/17]
In Kentucky, Medicaid Expansion Was Associated With Earlier Diagnosis And Somewhat Improved Breast Cancer Care. “The expansion of Kentucky Medicaid in 2014 has been associated with earlier diagnosis and somewhat improved quality of breast cancer care, despite a stable disease incidence. Additional improvements in treatment expediency will require improvements in patient outreach and healthcare infrastructure.” [Journal of the American College of Surgeons, April 2018]
Washington DC — Today, the Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on Protecting Americans with Pre-existing Conditions. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement in reaction to today’s committee hearing:
“We congratulate Chairman Neal and House Democrats for kicking off the Health Care Congress with the issue that brought them into the majority – affordable access to health care and, specifically, protecting people with pre-existing conditions from discrimination by insurance companies. It is heartening to hear so many members committed to maintaining and strengthening protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Today’s discussion sends a strong signal that House Democrats are focused on eliminating threats like junk plans and doing more to lower the cost of care for Americans.Voters put Democrats in the majority in the House to protect and improve their care. Democrats understand they have a responsibility to deliver. If today’s hearing is any indication, they have every intention of doing so.”
YEARS OF REPUBLICAN SABOTAGE RESULTS IN THE FEWEST PEOPLE COVERED SINCE THE PASSAGE OF THE ACA, HURTING WOMEN, LOWER-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, AND YOUNG PEOPLE THE MOST
Washington DC — Today, according to a new Gallup Health and Wellbeing-Index, about 7 million fewer people had health care in 2018 compared to the previous year. The uninsured rate has steadily increased during the Trump administration from a low of 11 percent in 2016, the lowest since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The rate was 14 percent in the last quarter of 2018. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, released the following statement:
“Years of Trump administration and Republican sabotage of the ACA continues to take its toll. The Trump administration regularly claims it’s making health care better, but the proof is in the pudding — he’s sabotaging the system and ripping coverage away from millions of families. And Trump’s sabotage hits women, lower income households, and young people especially hard.
“President Trump and his allies in Congress must stop their partisan war on health care before they rip coverage away from millions more. Our focus should be on lowering costs and helping more people get coverage, but Republicans insist on taking us backwards – the exact approach voters rejected in November. It’s past time for Congress to step in and put the brakes on Trump’s health care sabotage because millions of Americans are paying the price with less coverage and higher costs.”
Washington DC — Today, Senate Democrats reintroduced a resolution to defend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions after a federal judge in Texas ruled to overturn the entire ACA. Similar to the House resolution passed last week, this resolution takes aim at Republican attorneys general lawsuit to overturn the entire Affordable Care Act and has the support of the Trump Administration. It also directs the Senate legal counsel to intervene on behalf of the American people. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, calls on the full Senate to support and pass this resolution:
“Now that Trump and his Republican allies have gotten a federal judge to do what they couldn’t do legislatively, overturn the ACA, Senate Democrats are once again fighting to protect people with pre-existing conditions and those who benefit from the law. This resolution takes direct aim at the Texas lawsuit and its dangerous ambitions of stripping health care away from millions of Americans. If this ruling isn’t overturned, Republicans will roll back the clock and take millions of people back to the days where insurance companies had the power to deny, drop, or charge more for coverage. It’s time for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican Senators to step up to the plate and join their Democratic colleagues by bringing this resolution to the floor where it is sure to pass. Make no mistake, by refusing to bring this resolution to the floor, Senate Republicans are backing a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act.”
BACKGROUND:
Due to Judge O’Connor’s ruling on December 14th, Republicans are one step closer to repealing the Affordable Care Act and eliminating key protections, unleashing — as the Trump Administration itself admitted in his court — “chaos” in our entire health care system. If this ruling is allowed to stand:
Marketplace tax credits and coverage for 10 million people: GONE.
Medicaid expansion currently covering 15 million people: GONE.
Protections for more than 130 million people with pre-existing conditions when they buy coverage on their own: GONE.
Allowing children to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26: GONE.
Free annual wellness exams: GONE.
Ban on annual and lifetime limits: GONE.
Ban on insurance discrimination against women: GONE.
Contraception with no out-of-pocket costs: GONE.
Limit on out-of-pocket costs: GONE.
Requirement that insurance companies cover essential benefits like prescription drugs, maternity care, and hospitalization: GONE.
Improvements to Medicare, including reduced costs for prescription drugs: GONE.
Closed Medicare prescription drug donut hole: GONE.
Rules to hold insurance companies accountable: GONE.
“Nearly every Republican voted ‘no’ on this resolution, once again turning their backs on the millions of Americans whose access to life-saving care and benefits are in jeopardy,” says Brad Woodhouse
Washington DC — In response to House Democrats passing a stand-alone resolution that authorizes the House Counsel to intervene in the Texas, et. al. vs. United States, et. al. lawsuit to defend the Affordable Care Act and takes direct aim at the relentless repeal and sabotage campaign on health care by Republicans and President Trump, Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care issued the following statement:
“Under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, the House took a crucial step to defend the Affordable Care Act and protect Americans with pre-existing conditions. By passing this resolution to intervene in the dangerous Texas lawsuit, Democrats stand in stark contrast with their repeal and sabotage Republican colleagues. Make no mistake, nearly every Republican voted ‘no’ on this resolution, once again turning their backs on the millions of Americans whose access to life-saving care and benefits are in jeopardy. Republicans are doubling down on their anti-health care agenda and ignoring the clear message sent by voters in November. If the Republicans had their way with this vote, the Affordable Care Act would be fully repealed and millions of people would lose their coverage. Clearly, Republicans haven’t learned the lesson of the 2018 elections and we’re here to remind them that elections have consequences.”
Background:
Thanks To The Republican Lawsuit, 17 Million People Could Lose Their Coverage
According to the Urban Institute, 17.1 million people could lose coverage in the first year by repealing the Affordable Care Act, leading to a 50 percent increase in the uninsured rate.
If The Texas Ruling Is Upheld, Protections For 130 Million People With A Pre-Existing Condition Could Disappear
According to a recent analysis by the Center for American Progress, roughly half of nonelderly Americans, or as many as 130 million people, have a pre-existing condition. This includes:
44 million people who have high blood pressure
45 million people who have behavioral health disorders
44 million people who have high cholesterol
34 million people who have asthma and chronic lung disease
34 million people who have osteoarthritis and other joint disorders
17 million children. One in fourchildren, or roughly 17 million, have a pre-existing condition.
68 million women. More than half of women and girls nationally have a pre-existing condition.
30 million people aged 55-64. 84 percent of older adults, 30.5 million Americans between age 55 and 64, have a pre-existing condition.
If The Texas Ruling Is Upheld, Insurance Companies Would Have The Power To Deny Or Drop Coverage Because Of A Pre-Existing Condition
Before the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies routinely denied people coverage because of a pre-existing condition or canceled coverage when a person got sick. Now insurance companies have a license to do this again.
A 2010 congressional report found that the top four health insurance companies denied coverage to one in seven consumers on the individual market over a three year period.
A 2009 congressional report found that the of the largest insurance companies had retroactively canceled coverage for 20,000 people over the previous five year period.
More than 100 Million People With A Pre-Existing Condition Could Be Forced to Pay More. An analysis by Avalere finds that “102 million individuals, not enrolled in major public programs like Medicaid or Medicare, have a pre-existing medical condition and could therefore face higher premiums or significant out-of-pocket costs” thanks to the Republican lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act.If The Texas Ruling Is Upheld, Insurance Companies Would Once Again Have The Power To Charge You More
Women Can Be Charged More Than Men For The Same Coverage. Prior to the ACA, women, for example, were often charged premiums on the nongroup market of up to 50 percent higher than they charged men for the same coverage.
People Over The Age of 50 Can Face A $4,000 “Age Tax.” Thanks to the Republican lawsuit, insurance companies can charge people over 50 more than younger people. The Affordable Care Act limited the amount older people could be charged to three times more than younger people. If insurers were to charge five times more, as was proposed in the Republican repeal bills, that would add an average “age tax” of $4,124 for a 60-year-old in the individual market, according to the AARP.
Nine Million People In The Marketplaces Will Pay More For Coverage. Thanks to the Republican lawsuit, consumers no longer have access to tax credits that help them pay their marketplace premiums, meaning roughly nine million people who receive these tax credits to pay for coverage will have to pay more.
Seniors Will Have To Pay More For Prescription Drugs. Thanks to the Republican lawsuit, seniors will have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare “donut” hole got reopened. From 2010 to 2016, “More than 11.8 million Medicare beneficiaries have received discounts over $26.8 billion on prescription drugs – an average of $2,272 per beneficiary,” according to a January 2017 Centers on Medicare and Medicaid Services report.
If The Texas Ruling Is Upheld, Insurance Companies Will Have The Power To Limit The Care You Get, Even If You Have Insurance Through Your Employer
Reinstate Lifetime and Annual Limits. Thanks to the Republican lawsuit, insurance companies can once again impose annual and lifetime limits on coverage.
Insurance Companies Do Not Have to Provide the Coverage You Need. The Affordable Care Act made comprehensive coverage more available by requiring insurance companies to include “essential health benefits” in their plans, such as maternity care, hospitalization, substance abuse care and prescription drug coverage. Before the ACA, people had to pay extra for separate coverage for these benefits. For example, in 2013, 75 percent of non-group plans did not cover maternity care, 45 percent did not cover substance abuse disorder services, and 38 percent did not cover mental health services. Six percent did not even cover generic drugs.
If The Texas Ruling Is Upheld, Medicaid Expansion Will End
Fifteen million people have coverage through the expanded Medicaid program.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the CURE High Drug Prices Act, which would give the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the power to stop drug company price gouging for common drugs like insulin. Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement in response:
“Senators Blumenthal, Klobuchar, Harris and Merkley’s bill takes direct aim at the ability of drug companies to charge excessive prices for common drugs like insulin – a critical issue impacting millions of Americans and they should be commended for their action today. The Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress gave billions of dollars in tax breaks to big drug companies, and in response, their profits have soared while drug prices have gone through the roof. Voters sent a clear message in the midterm elections: they want Congress to reduce drug prices and take their side – not the side of the drug companies.”
Washington DC — In a statement released on Monday by members of the Problem Solvers, a caucus of nine House Democrats outlined its threat to withhold support for Leader Pelosi’s nomination for Speaker. The caucus stated its proposals would “help spur immediate action on health care, immigration and infrastructure.” Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care issued the following statement:
“The way to protect and improve health care isn’t by making demands that were drawn up by a group that includes Republicans who voted to repeal health care — many of whom were defeated by Democrats just a few weeks ago. The way to truly protect and improve health care is by placing the Member of Congress whose leadership gave us the Affordable Care Act and led the blue wave that will protect us going forward in the Speaker’s chair. Let’s take the fight to the opponents of affordable health care — not its champions.”
Washington, DC – Upon a majority of the U.S. Senate voting to approve Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement:
“America has seen the real Brett Kavanaugh — an angry, entitled, dishonest, partisan operative — and by historic proportions, they have opposed this nominee and asked their Senators to vote no. When Brett Kavanaugh uses his power as a justice to steamroll health care and abortion rights for the American people,millions will suffer the consequences of this vote. Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation puts an indelible stain on our nation’s highest court, and poses a significant risk for the millions of Americans whose pre-existing conditions are protected because of the ACA, or whoever may need a safe and legal abortion. The Republicans who control the Senate”refused to fully investigate the sexual assault allegations against Judge Kavanaugh, and refused to allow a full and thorough review of his nomination throughout the process.”
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