MILWAUKEE, WI – Today, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Milwaukee area small business owners Lori McDonald and Kara Pitt-D’Andrea joined Protect Our Care Wisconsin to discuss the ongoing Trump-GOP health care crisis as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period is underway. After a 40 day standoff, Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are advancing their scheme to rip health care tax credits away from working families as Wisconsinites log onto the ACA marketplace to find that their health plans could be more than twice as expensive as last year.
As the fight continues to protect premium tax credits and make health care affordable for Wisconsin, speakers called out Republican Members of Congress for their intent to raise costs on working families in order to give handouts to billionaires.
Speakers highlighted the importance of open enrollment, and protecting the ACA and other health care programs while holding Republicans accountable for ripping away tax credits.
More than 313,000 Wisconsinites are covered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace – as many as 110,000 are likely to lose coverage thanks to premium increases.
A 45-year-old in Wisconsin making $62,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $2,844 to hit $8,284 annually.
A 60-year-old couple in Wisconsin making $82,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $23,916 to hit $31,141 annually.
A family of four in Wisconsin making $126,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $12,392 to hit $23,442 annually.
“With the right (health care) coverage you have the opportunity to proactively care for your own health,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. “Unfortunately, a healthy Milwaukee is under more threat than ever. Without ACA tax credits over 20 million Americans will log onto the ACA marketplace during open enrollment and find their health plans are more than twice as expensive as last year.”
“My own family plan is going up from $1,687 a month to $2,373 a month,” said Lori McDonald, who started Brilliance Business Solutions more than 25 years ago. “When premiums rise this fast it puts real pressure on working families and small employers. Protecting ACA tax credits is essential, without them families are priced out and the system breaks down.”
“Ripping away these tax credits does not make good business sense,” said Kara Pitt-D’Andrea, who runs a non-profit child care center in the Milwaukee area, “I deeply hope that people call their representatives and that they listen to us.”
You can watch the full event here, and learn more about the Trump-GOP health care disaster here.
