Washington, D.C. – This afternoon, Donald Trump is slated to host another “Health Care Affordability Event” at the White House — an utterly laughable event given the dismal state of health care affordability in Trump’s America. Health care costs continue to top Americans’ affordability worries as costs skyrocket as a direct result of Trump’s and Republicans in Congress all-out assault on American health care. This event comes on the heels of a slew of brutal polls showing the American people are not falling for Republican lies as they are crushed by skyrocketing health care costs.
As the fallout of his health care crisis ripples throughout the nation, Trump is reaching historic levels of disapproval on health care, and Democrats are overwhelmingly trusted over Republicans to bring down health care costs. Read more:
- LATEST POLLS: Health Care Costs Will Be Trump and Republicans’ Undoing In November
- Premium Disaster Watch: Americans “Feel the Pinch” and “Struggle to Afford Healthcare, Food and Gas” as the Trump-GOP Premium Hikes Set In
- SHOT/CHASER: Trump Shrugs Off Americans Crushed By Rising Health Care Costs, “I Don’t Think About Americans’ Financial Situation”
In response, Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement:
“Trump can lie all he wants, but you can’t gaslight Americans who are struggling to pay their medical bills. These health care affordability events are an insult to the American people and serve only as a sad attempt to save face. But no amount of posturing can erase the reality that millions of Americans are living every day: higher costs, shuttering hospitals, and reduced access to care.
“After cutting over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the ACA to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations, Trump and his allies in Congress are doubling down on their cuts to health care in order to fund his gold-plated ballroom, needless wars, and even more billionaire tax breaks. Poll after poll shows that the American people know who exactly is responsible for their skimpier coverage and sky-high premiums. When voters cast their ballots this November, Republicans will feel the wrath of the American people.”
Background:
Republicans gutted more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, hiking premium and out-of-pocket costs, driving rural hospitals off a cliff, and kicking families off of their life-saving coverage, all to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Now, more than 900 hospitals, nursing homes, and care facilities across the United States are reducing services, laying off workers, closing their doors, or are at risk of doing so, stranding entire communities without essential care in the wake of the Trump-GOP big, ugly bill. Roughly 15 million Americans are at risk of losing their coverage due to Republicans’ devastating cuts.
At the same time, Republicans ripped away health care tax credits that helped 22 million Americans afford coverage, putting hard-working families in dire straits as prices rise across the board. Without these tax credits, monthly premiums have skyrocketed from hundreds to thousands of dollars, forcing many to skip doctor’s appointments, refrain from taking their medication, drop coverage altogether, or cut other necessities, such as groceries. Millions of hard-working Americans and families across the country are being crushed under the weight of the GOP’s health care affordability crisis while Trump’s billionaire buddies cash in with some of the biggest tax breaks in history.
BY THE NUMBERS: Trump’s War on Americans’ Health Care
- Roughly half of American adults say it is difficult to afford health care costs. 1 in 3 are skipping meals and other needs to afford health care.
- Nearly 22 million Americans who buy insurance through the ACA are now forced to pay thousands more annually for health coverage.
- Premiums for Americans receiving ACA tax credits have increased by an average of 136 percent this year:
- A 45-year-old making $64,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $3,032 to hit 8,472 this year.
- A 60-year-old couple making $85,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $24,621 to hit 31,846 this year.
- A family of four making $130,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $12,764 to hit 23,814 this year.
- To make matters worse, the Trump administration just finalized a rule that chokes Americans in red tape and pushes them towards skimpy coverage that drowns them in out-of-pocket costs.
- Trump and Republicans imposed a sick tax on over 20 million low-income people who rely on Medicaid, which will hit them with an average of $1,650 in new bills each year.
- An estimated 15 million Americans will lose their health care by 2034 thanks to Trump and Republicans in Congress.
- Over 900 United States hospitals, clinics, and other providers are at-risk, have announced cuts, or are closing.
- Hospitals are expected to lose $665 billion in Medicaid funding and $14.2 billion in ACA funding due to the cuts. Hospitals and clinics across the country are being forced to shutter, cut services, or are at great risk.
- Nearly half of adults cannot afford to take their prescription medication as prescribed.
- Over the past year, big drug companies have raised prices by an average of 5.5% for 688 top prescription drugs while the largest drug companies made over $130 billion in earnings and spent over $80 billion rewarding their shareholders after Trump and Republicans passed a $9 billion giveaway to drug companies at the expense of seniors and taxpayers.
