Hirono, Colleagues Slam Trump Administration for Rising Health Care Costs, Affordability Crisis for American Families

Lawmakers: “We urge the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans to join us to lower Americans’ health care costs and reopen the government.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and 24 colleagues in slamming the Trump administration for its failure to address rising health care costs for American families. In a new letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the lawmakers highlighted the worsening affordability crisis, especially for health care — the crux of the fight surrounding Donald Trump and Republicans’ ongoing government shutdown.

“Over 90 percent of American voters say it is important for Congress and the President to lower health care costs,” wrote the lawmakers. “We urge the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans to join us to lower Americans’ health care costs and reopen the government.”

The senators explained that Donald Trump has raised health care costs for Americans in the following ways:

1. An estimated 154 million Americans with employer-sponsored health insurance will face the biggest premium increase in over a decade because of Donald Trump’s policies;
2. Over 24 million Americans who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will see their premiums skyrocket next year, and families receiving enhanced premium tax credits will face the largest price hike in history if the tax credits expire;
3. 15 million Americans will get kicked off of their health insurance because of Trump and Congressional Republicans’ budget law, and millions more with Medicaid will face new, higher out-of-pocket costs;
4. 15 million Americans with $49 billion in medical debt are being denied federal relief, while 15 million more are at higher risk of accruing medical debt;
5. Millions of Americans will have to pay “hundreds of dollars more in out-of-pocket costs” for ACA coverage due to the Trump administration’s final Marketplace rule; and
6. Millions of Americans will pay more for prescription drugs due to Trump and Congressional Republicans’ nearly $9 billion handout to Big Pharma.

In addition to Senators Hirono, Warren, Wyden, and Schumer, the letter was also signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ.), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

The full text of the letter is available here.

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