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HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR UNDERMINING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Trump and Republicans in Congress haven’t been able to
officially kill the Affordable Care Act. But they’re quietly using 5 strategies
to destroy it. Know what they’re doing so you can hold them accountable on
Election Day.
1. They’ve repealed the requirement that all Americans sign
up for health insurance. Republicans slipped this repeal into their tax cut for
the wealthy and corporations.
But that requirement had meant enough healthy
people were enrolled to cover the sick. Without it, 4 million Americans will
lose coverage by 2019 and premiums will increase by 10 percent, according to
the Congressional Budget Office.
2. They’ve cut subsidies that help an estimated 6 million
low-income Americans afford coverage through private insurers. Trump wants you
to believe these cuts will save money. Baloney. Ending the subsidies is
expected to drive up premiums, thereby increasing costs for taxpayers.
3. They want to flood the insurance market with junk
plans. They’ve made it easier for small businesses and individuals to buy
alternative types of health insurance with fewer benefits and weaker
protections. This will leave sicker people and those with pre-existing conditions out
in the cold.
4. They’ve made it harder for people to sign up for
coverage – shortening the enrollment period, scaling back outreach efforts,
increasing the amount of paperwork. It’s even been reported that the Trump
administration redirected funds from a marketing campaign designed to promote
enrollment to a campaign criticizing the law.
5. They’ve stopped defending key provisions of the law in
court. The Justice Department has stopped defending the Affordable Care Act’s
protections for Americans with preexisting conditions in a case brought by
Republican attorneys general.
Remember, the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010 in order to make health
insurance available to people regardless of their income or their health
condition. It wasn’t perfect and was just one step toward a real solution
like Medicare for All, but it was a historic piece of legislation.
Now,
Trump is taking a wrecking ball to it. He promised during his campaign
he’d repeal and replace it with something “far better,” but he’s not
replacing it with anything. He’s just destroying it, step by step.
Don’t
let Trump and his enablers hide what they are doing. When millions – including
huge numbers of Trump supporters – lose the health coverage they had or their premiums
go up, make sure Trump and the Republicans are held accountable.
