Washington, D.C. — A new report, ‘This Is a Health Care Election: GOP Cuts Ripple Across the Nation as Voters Head to the Polls’, lays out how health care will be Donald Trump and Republicans’ undoing on election day. After passing the largest Medicaid cuts in history and ripping away Affordable Care Act tax credits to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations under the ‘Big Ugly’ bill, Republicans like Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and U.S. Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK-AL) are facing growing backlash as families lose coverage, costs skyrocket, and hospitals struggle to stay open.
Health care has dominated the campaign trail, even moving longtime Trump voters. Polling shows widespread concern about health care costs and coverage, with the public overwhelmingly trusting Democrats over Republicans to handle health care.
“Senator Sullivan and Rep. Begich took a chainsaw to Medicaid and health care tax credits, then hoped voters wouldn’t notice the coverage losses and higher premiums until after the election,” said Brad Woodhouse, president of Save My Care. “The problem for Senator Sullivan and Rep. Begich is that every doctor’s bill, struggling hospital, or premium notice is a reminder that Donald Trump and Republicans chose billionaires over working people. Republicans know it’s a health care election, which is why so many are lying about their major contribution to the affordability crisis. Unfortunately for the GOP, one look at the polls and it’s clear no one is impressed with their excuses and blame shifting. One look at the poor state of the economy, and it’s clear the GOP’s trillion-dollar tax breaks for billionaires and price-gouging corporations were not worth the pain the ‘Big Ugly’ cuts are causing everyday families.”
Among the report’s key findings:
Health Care Is the Top Concern for Voters. Rising costs and lost coverage are hitting families hard. 69% of Americans claim they are very concerned about the cost of health care, with around half of voters calling health care costs a major problem for their families, and voters overwhelmingly trust Democrats over Republicans to fix it. Majorities say health care will be an important factor in their midterm vote.
Republicans Are Lying About Their Health Care Record. Republicans continue to try to lie to voters about the harm their vote for H.R. 1 will cause, which enacted historic cuts to Medicaid and ripped away health care tax credits. Republicans like David Valadao (CA- 22) and Mike Lawler (NY-17) claim they are protecting Medicaid and Medicare, while 1.7 million and 550,000 people, respectively, in their states have lost Medicaid/CHIP and ACA coverage.
The Consequences Are Already Being Felt Nationwide, Regardless of Insurance Plans, and Will Only Get Worse. In one year, 8 million Americans have lost their Medicaid, CHIP, or ACA coverage, and more than 1,250 hospitals, nursing homes, maternity wards, and other providers have closed, cut services, or face the risk of doing so. Families with employer-sponsored insurance are also facing rising premiums and out-of-pocket costs as hospitals absorb growing uncompensated care. Insurance companies have proposed another year of double-digit premium hikes as well.
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