Washington, D.C. – A bombshell new report found that five million Americans and counting have lost their health coverage in the year since Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress like U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO-4), Gabe Evans (R-CO-8), Jeff Hurd (R-CO-3) and Jeff Crank (R-CO-5) passed the largest health care cuts in history under the Big Ugly Bill. These Republicans made a choice to gut over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to pay for massive tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations — and all they have to show for it is a sicker nation and the highest inflation in three years.
The sobering milestone of five million Americans joining the ranks of the uninsured is just the latest human toll of the Big Ugly Bill. After Trump and Reps. Boebert, Evans, Hurd, Crank chose to rip away tax credits from working families, health insurance premiums more than doubled on average. More than 1,000 hospitals, clinics, and essential providers have closed, are at risk of closure, or have cut essential services. And a new poll found more than half of Americans have made sacrifices to deal with high health care costs over the past year, like delaying or avoiding going to the doctor’s office, or taking on medical or credit card debt.
“Reps. Boebert, Evans, Hurd and Crank helped manufacture the Republican health care affordability crisis that’s left over five million Americans without coverage and counting,” said Brad Woodhouse, President of Save My Care. “We were promised the Trump-GOP Big Ugly Bill would give us the best economy ever by throwing more tax breaks at price-gouging corporations and Trump’s billionaire donors. Instead, it’s done nothing but make historically bad new problems from doubled premiums, mass hospital closures, higher inflation, and millions more denials of care for working people. Trillionaire Elon Musk may be laughing about getting another tax break, but there’s nothing funny about Reps. Boebert, Evans, Hurd and Crank putting so many Colorado families in a financial bind under the largest health care cuts in U.S. history. All those now making hard choices like not seeing a doctor when needed or going into deep medical debt have Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress to thank.”
BY THE NUMBERS: COLORADANS CHOOSE BETWEEN PAYING MORE OR FOREGOING HEALTH CARE COVERAGE
- An estimated 5,929 Coloradans have already lost their Medicaid, CHIP, or ACA coverage after Republicans gutted health care.
- 190,000 Coloradans total are anticipated to lose their health care between 2025 and 2034.
- Premiums for Coloradans receiving ACA tax credits increased by an average of 137% this year:
- A 45-year-old in Colorado making $64,000 saw their average annual premium costs rise by $2,112 to hit $7,552 this year.
- A 60-year-old couple in Colorado making $85,000 saw their average annual premium costs rise by $21,164 to hit $28,389 this year.
- A family of four in Colorado making $130,000 saw their average annual premium costs rise by $10,320 to hit $21,370 this year.
- Now, thanks to Republicans gutting the premium tax credits and hiking Coloradans’ premiums, providers in Colorado will lose an additional $145 million in funding and face a 18.3% spike in uncompensated care demand.
- Colorado hospitals alone are expected to lose nearly just under $8.2 billion annually. 14 Colorado health care providers are at-risk, announced cuts, are closing, or have closed, including:
- AT-RISK: Southwest Memorial Hospital
- AT-RISK: Delta County Memorial Hospital
- AT-RISK: Dolores County Senior Services Center
- AT-RISK: Conejos County Hospital
- AT-RISK: Prowers Medical Center
- AT-RISK: Grand River Hospital District
- CUTS ANNOUNCED: Aurora Mental Health and Recovery
- CUTS ANNOUNCED: Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center
- CLOSURE ANNOUNCED: Intermountain Health Broomfield Clinic – Occupational Medicine
- CLOSURE ANNOUNCED: Intermountain Health Denver Sports Medicine Clinic
- CLOSURE ANNOUNCED: Intermountain Health Wheat Ridge Clinic – Occupational Medicine
- WARD CLOSED: Delta Health – Labor & Delivery Unit
- WARD CLOSED: Banner Health’s McKee Medical Center – Emergency Room
- FACILITY CLOSED: Banner Urgent Care
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