House Republicans voted last month to rip health care coverage from working families, and while families across America await the outcome of congressional action, the Trump Administration continues to undermine the stability of the marketplace and refuses to commit to keeping premiums low.  The effect of the Trump Administration’s sabotage strategy is already being felt in states around the country.

“President Trump and his administration should focus on helping hardworking families keep their affordable health coverage rather than sticking Americans with much higher insurance bills,” said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14), who is leading Florida’s entire Democratic Congressional Delegation to urge Pres. Trump to act to protect affordable health care by committing to maintaining cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments or else be responsible for higher costs and dire consequences for Florida families.  “Support is critical for affordable quality health coverage and President Trump should not ‘play politics’ and threaten the peace of mind of parents and small business owners.”

During yesterday’s Senate Finance Committee hearing, Health & Human Services Secretary Tom Price would not commit Pres. Trump to decreasing costs for Americans by continuing CSR payments – the very act of not answering purposefully sabotages the health insurance markets and affordable health coverage for our neighbors.

Read the Florida Delegation letter led by Rep. Castor here.

“Instead of working together to build on such successes as the number of uninsured Americans at its lowest in history and ending discrimination against my neighbors with pre-existing conditions, Trump is actively working to put the marketplace in jeopardy by not committing to these vital payments, which help provide my neighbors with affordable quality health care coverage options,” U.S. Rep. Castor added.  “Trump’s inaction on CSR payments is causing instability in the federal marketplace, which in turn is forcing health insurance companies to raise their rates for 2018 or pull out altogether.  He is intentionally sabotaging our health insurance markets and leaving hardworking American families and small businesses to bear the brunt.”

During the 2017 open enrollment, Florida again led the country in the federal marketplace by enrolling about 1.7 million people.  Seventy one percent of marketplace enrollees in the state – 1.24 million Floridians – benefited from CSRs in 2016, according to a March 2017 report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. On average, Florida enrollees receive over $1,200 in assistance through CSRs.

U.S. Rep. Castor serves as the Vice Ranking Member of the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has oversight over the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.  She has also called on Speaker Ryan to protect affordable health care in a letter imploring him to commit to CSRs and avoid sticking families with higher health insurance costs through inaction or outright sabotage.  U.S. Rep. Castor helped to craft the Affordable Care Act so that it works for Florida families and today, the ACA has sustained progress.  She will continue to fight White House and Republican efforts to reverse the huge gains in coverage and peace of mind that the ACA has brought families across the country.

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