House Democratic Health Leaders: Trump Admin ACA Marketplace Changes Will Raise Costs and Result in Two Million Americans Losing Health Care
“We strongly urge you to immediately withdraw these policies that undermine the ACA, jeopardize access to health care, increase health care costs for American families, and make Americans sicker.”
House Democratic Health Committee leaders wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D. today raising strong objections to proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act Marketplace that the Trump Administration announced last month, which will raise costs and result in two million Americans losing their health care.
The letter was signed by Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), and Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA).
“The Trump Administration is proposing policies that, by its own estimates, will raise premiums by almost $3 billion over the next four years and result in two million Americans losing coverage through the Marketplaces in 2026,” the Democratic Health Committee leaders wrote. “Even that may be an underestimate, given the $364 million in administrative burden consumers will face. As these policies threaten access to health care services for millions of Americans, we call on you to withdraw the Proposed Rule immediately and cease all other efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act.”
The Trump Administration’s proposed rule includes a variety of measures intended to sabotage the ACA Marketplace, including shortening and eliminating enrollment periods, requiring unnecessary and burdensome enrollment verification processes, eliminating DACA eligibility, and imposing nuisance fees that will increase costs for families.
“This Proposed Rule will not only raise administrative costs and worsen coverage for people purchasing coverage on their own, but it will also raise insurance premiums for many Americans,” Pallone, Neal, and Scott continued. “Reducing tax credits, increasing excessive administrative burden by millions of hours, and rolling out new red tape will rip affordable health coverage away from millions of Americans. Therefore, we strongly urge you to immediately withdraw these policies that undermine the ACA, jeopardize access to health care, increase health care costs for American families, and make Americans sicker.”
Read the full letter HERE.
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