Awful healthcare news for Virginia.
Last year we stopped Trump/GOP attempts to repeal the ACA and strip health insurance from 23 million people. They responded by sabotaging the healthcare system.
We just learned that this is going to cause Virginians’ premiums to skyrocket. 1/
Last year we stopped Trump/GOP attempts to repeal the ACA and strip health insurance from 23 million people. They responded by sabotaging the healthcare system.
We just learned that this is going to cause Virginians’ premiums to skyrocket. 1/
“Skyrocket” = double-digit increases, up to 64%, depending on your insurer and plan.
There is no way to sugarcoat these health insurance premium hikes: they are across different insurers, they are devastating, and many will not be able to afford them. 2/
There is no way to sugarcoat these health insurance premium hikes: they are across different insurers, they are devastating, and many will not be able to afford them. 2/
Why is this happening? The insurers themselves attribute it to Republican actions.
The #GOPTaxScam removed the individual mandate, causing healthy people to drop out of the individual market and driving up costs for everyone else... 3/
The #GOPTaxScam removed the individual mandate, causing healthy people to drop out of the individual market and driving up costs for everyone else... 3/
That effect was made even worse by the Trump Administration’s adoption of “association health plans,” skimpy, cheap, short-term plans that offer weak coverage.
These GOP actions combined to weaken health insurance markets and drive up your costs. 4/
These GOP actions combined to weaken health insurance markets and drive up your costs. 4/
These rate increases are ON TOP of big increases from last year, which insurers also laid at the feet of GOP sabotage efforts, particularly the uncertainty created by multiple attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. 5/
Republicans KNEW this would happen.
They knew because Democrats told them over and over again, and Congress’ budget experts at CBO told them, and healthcare economists and insurers warned them. They knew what their sabotage would do.
THEY ADMITTED IT. 6/
washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/w…
They knew because Democrats told them over and over again, and Congress’ budget experts at CBO told them, and healthcare economists and insurers warned them. They knew what their sabotage would do.
THEY ADMITTED IT. 6/
washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/w…
Tom Price, who led @HouseGOP efforts to repeal the ACA and then was put in charge of sabotaging it as Trump’s health secretary, PUBLICLY ADMITTED the GOP knew their actions would hurt insurance markets and drive up Americans’ costs.
They did it anyway. 7/
They did it anyway. 7/
Trump promised over and over again that he would work with Congress to pass bipartisan bills to help stabilize premiums.
Instead, he torpedoed them and then got a repeal of the individual mandate included in the #GOPTaxScam just so he could say he “repealed Obamacare.” 8/
Instead, he torpedoed them and then got a repeal of the individual mandate included in the #GOPTaxScam just so he could say he “repealed Obamacare.” 8/
This is a scandal and a disgrace and Virginians are going to be hurt very badly, especially those who can least afford it. It is so infuriating.
So what can Virginians do?
We must expand Medicaid. There is no excuse not to, there never was, but it is even more urgent now. 9/
So what can Virginians do?
We must expand Medicaid. There is no excuse not to, there never was, but it is even more urgent now. 9/
Medicaid expansion is more important than ever, and every state legislator should back @GovernorVA’s push for it.
Congress must act immediately to undo the Trump/GOP sabotage and take steps to rein in costs. It is still possible to help if we work together for solutions. 10/
Congress must act immediately to undo the Trump/GOP sabotage and take steps to rein in costs. It is still possible to help if we work together for solutions. 10/
Right now this is awful news for Virginians, but we will not be the only ones.
Americans in other states will feel the same pain of health premium increases, and some may get hit even harder.
The GOP did this on purpose. They have to let us fix it. 11/11
Americans in other states will feel the same pain of health premium increases, and some may get hit even harder.
The GOP did this on purpose. They have to let us fix it. 11/11
