Does Washington GOP Side With Trump on Ripping Health Care Away During A Pandemic?
Amid Pandemic, Washington GOP Silent as Trump Threatens to Tear Away Health Care
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | May 7, 2020
SEATTLE — Yesterday, the leader of the Republican Party, Donald Trump, told reporters he wants to “terminate” health care under the Affordable Care Act. And yet, not a single Republican member of Congress from our state nor any of the Republican legislative leadership in Olympia have spoken out against this decision to strip health care from their constituents.
Amid a pandemic, what does this mean for Washington state?
- 565,000 people in Washington would lose coverage, raising the state’s uninsured rate among the nonelderly population from 8.8 percent to 18.1 percent.
- 3.1 million people in Washington with preexisting conditions could face higher premiums, face benefit exclusions, or be denied coverage altogether—a discriminatory practice outlawed by the ACA nationwide—if they ever needed to turn to the individual market for coverage in another state.
- The state would lose $4.2 billion in federal funding for health coverage because the ruling would eliminate ACA funding for the marketplaces, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program.
- Insurance companies would no longer be required to issue rebates when they overcharge Washingtonians. Last year, insurance companies returned $3.7 million in medical loss ratio rebates to policyholders in Washington.
“As the leader of their party threatens rip take away health care from more than 550,000 Washingtonians and raise the costs for millions more with pre-existing conditions, Washington state Republicans are silent,” said Tina Podlodowski, Chair of the Washington State Democratic Party. “During this difficult time for our state, every Washington Republican must stand up and speak out against the President’s dangerous actions. I can’t believe we have to say this during a pandemic, but Washington Democrats remain committed to protecting health care, not ripping it away.”
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