Terminating the ACA Would Raise Costs, End Protection for Pre-Existing Conditions, and Rip Coverage Away From Millions
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Washington, DC — Today, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Representative Colin Allred (D-TX-32) joined Protect Our Care to discuss how the ongoing Republican mission to “terminate” the Affordable Care Act (ACA) jeopardizes the health and well-being of millions of people across the nation. Over the weekend, Donald Trump renewed calls to repeal the ACA, claiming his administration’s failure to repeal the law was “a low point” and telling the GOP to “never give up” trying. His comments reflect the actions of other MAGA-Republican lawmakers who are continually working to decimate the ACA and Medicaid, raise prescription drug costs for seniors, and put drug and insurance companies back in charge at the expense of American families.
Repealing the ACA means ripping away protections for the over 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, hiking premium costs for millions of working families, and allowing insurance companies to deny basic care like hospital visits and prescription drugs. In total, 20 million Americans would lose coverage and 15 million would see higher health care costs. Read more here.
“Donald Trump is talking about turning back the clock to the days when consumers faced discrimination at the hands of insurance companies; we’re talking about moving forward,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR). “Thanks to President Biden and Democrats, Americans now know what it’s like to have affordable health care and if Donald Trump wants to take it away, he better understand he has got a whale of a fight on his hands. As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I will pull out all the stops to make sure that this Trump proposal goes nowhere because it’s a loser for the American people.”
“On my first day in Congress, I introduced a resolution to defend the Affordable Care Act from the Trump Administration’s reckless lawsuit that would have stripped health care away from millions of Americans,” said Representative Colin Allred (D-TX-32). “Nearly five years later, these same folks are threatening to get rid of this program which provides critical protections for the nearly 4.8 million Texans who have a pre-existing condition. I will never stop working to protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and to make health care more accessible and affordable for every Texan.”
“The Affordable Care Act saved my life,” said Laura Packard, cancer survivor and health care advocate. “Six years ago I walked into a doctor’s office with a nagging cough and walked out with a stage four cancer diagnosis. Thankfully, I had good insurance through the Affordable Care Act that was able to pay for the six months of chemotherapy and month of radiation treatments it took for me to be here. The day after my first chemotherapy appointment, while I was on the couch trying to survive, Republicans in the U.S. House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act that was keeping me alive and then held a party to celebrate. We can’t go back to that.”
“Trump is back at it again, threatening the health and well-being of millions across the nation,” said Leslie Dach, Chair of Protect Our Care. “We have seen record low uninsured numbers, and now 80% of people can get coverage through the ACA for under $10 — all thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress. Yet Republicans refuse to give up on their war on health care to hike costs, rip away protections, and put insurance companies back in charge. Despite overwhelming support for the ACA from the American people, Trump and MAGA-Republican lawmakers can’t quit their ‘repeal’ agenda.”