Washington, DC — Today, the Supreme Court reversed a decision by the Trump administration in July of 2018 to suspend risk adjustment payments that were included in the Affordable Care Act to help offer more affordable coverage to everyone, regardless of if they are healthy or sick. By refusing to make risk adjustment payments — even though they didn’t cost the taxpayer a single penny — President Trump and his administration made it harder for people with pre-existing conditions to access coverage, and drove up premiums for millions. This Supreme Court decision is one week before the House of Representatives and Democratic Attorneys General submit briefs to the court in opposition to the Trump lawsuit to overturn the entire ACA. Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach released the following statement in response:
“Today, the Supreme Court overruled an early attack by the Trump administration to undermine the Affordable Care Act — a decision by President Trump that raised insurance premiums for millions of Americans. Next week, the court begins its consideration of President Trump’s most outrageous action of all to rip apart Americans health care, a lawsuit that would take coverage away from 20 million Americans during a global pandemic. This is an outrageous attack by the president on America’s health care at the worst possible time.”