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Kuster condemns Trump Administration

By Staff | Jun 26, 2020

WASHINGTON – Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) ), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, condemned the Trump Administration’s reckless decision to file a brief with the Supreme Court asking the justices to strike down the entirety of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A new report finds that the number of Americans who would lose health coverage if the Republican lawsuit succeeds has grown to more than 23 million amid the historic health and economic emergency of the Coronavirus. The report finds that 105,000 New Hampshire residents would lose their health insurance if the Trump Administration is successful in repealing the ACA. Congresswoman Kuster is the sponsor of the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act, which passed the House of Representatives last year.

“It’s outrageous that in the midst of a global pandemic President Trump and Congressional Republicans would continue their partisan and politically motivated effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act,” Rep. Kuster said. “Even as COVID-19 has taken more than 122,000 American lives and infected millions more, the Trump Administration is again turning to the courts to strip American families of their health care, remove preexisting condition protections, and dismantle the ACA. This is simply unconscionable. The American people have made clear that they want Congress to work to improve access to quality, affordable health care. My legislation to protect Americans with preexisting conditions passed the House last year, and I will continue working to build upon the progress we have made, expand access to care, and lower costs.”

If the Trump Administration succeeds in striking down the Affordable Care Act:

• The 135 million Americans living with preexisting conditions like cancer, diabetes, or substance use disorder will lose their protections.

• Medicaid expansion, which covers 17 million people, including approximately 50,000 Granite Staters, will end.

• Nearly 12 million seniors will have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare ‘donut hole’ will be reopened.

• 2.3 million adult children will no longer be able to stay on their parents’ insurance.

• Insurance companies will be able to charge women 50 percent more than men.

• Financial assistance that helps 9 million people purchase health care in the marketplace will disappear.

• Rural hospitals will lose crucial support. As Americans lose coverage, already struggling hospitals will be hit even harder as their costs increase.

• Insurance companies will be able to reinstate lifetime caps on coverage.

• There will no longer be any requirements that insurance companies cover prescription drugs and maternity care.

Last May, the House passed H.R. 986, the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act, which was introduced by Rep. Kuster. Yesterday, House Democrats introduced the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, legislation that builds on the Affordable Care Act to lower health costs and prescription drug prices while reducing the ranks of the uninsured. For the first time, no person will have to pay more than 8.5 percent of their income on a silver plan in the marketplaces and many will see their premiums cut in half or more.

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