PROTECT OUR CARE ** WEEKLY WRAP UP ** [ June 24 - June 30, 2017 ] This Recess Let s #KilltheBill Congress has returned home for a week long recess. Now, more than ever, we need to make sure they hear from their constituents about just how disastrous health care repeal would be. So far, there s more than 100 events planned in key states. Check out all of the upcoming events here. Recess Resources Need information to be able to plug in to recess activities? Below are a bunch of great resources to get you ready. MoveOn has created downloadable signs and banners to print out and bring to Fourth of July parades and festivals.families USA has a new advocacy toolkit for the July 4 th Recess. OFA used the wonderful CAP report of state loss coverage numbers to create these GIFs that compare them to sold-out crowds in sports stadiums. Links here. CAP Action and Save My Care have launched OurLivesOurStories.com, a new mobile friendly one-stopshop for story collection and action steps. Partners are also able to receive their own links, like https://ourlivesourstories.com/?source=partnername, which will tag them in the database. Here is a digital toolkit for Our Lives, Our Stories, which includes: Post about it on social media Share graphics on social media Email your friends/family and networks about it They have also started a campaign to oppose #Trumpcare by showing up to Fourth Of July events wearing a band-aid (a sticker that everyone has at home!) to stand w/ the 22 million people.
Republicans Continue Secret Backroom Deals As President Trump and the most conservative wing of the party try to revive a repeal only plan that has been soundly rejected by the American public and the majority of the Senate, rumors swirl in Washington about the secret backroom deals that Republicans are offering their colleagues to pass their health care repeal bill. It turns out that nothing they re proposing fixes the fundamental disaster that is health care repeal. White House staff even told AXIOS VITALS that the plan was to bribe off the moderates to get the votes to pass repeal. Now we have some ideas of what they re trying to offer: Republicans know their repeal makes it harder for states to combat the opioid epidemic, but their solution wouldn't even scratch the surface of the problem they re creating - it falls more than $140 billion short and public health experts are calling it illogical at every level. In order to make the conservatives happy, they re adding yet ANOTHER tax break for wealthy people to put their money in tax shelters (aka HSAs) - doing nothing to help the middle class afford coverage. Essentially nothing to make any real changes to the devastating Medicaid cuts that House Republicans already endorsed in their failed bill which would slash $772 billion - putting seniors and people with disabilities at risk. Reminder: Lives are on the Line As Republicans have continued their attempted assault on our nation s health care system, folks from coast to coast are speaking out about how repeal would impact their lives. Here are some of the powerful stories from this week: Ted Gup, Ohio: I lost my son to heroin. How many more will we lose before Trump cares? Curtis Wolff, Colorado: I was paralyzed by a mosquito bite. The GOP health care plan would be devastating for me. Truman Raines, Tennessee: The Affordable Care Act changed our lives; repeal could ruin it. Elizabeth Baker, Texas: Dear Vice President Pence, What Exactly Do You Mean By Personal Responsibility? Erin Rafferty, New Jersey: My Baby Wasn t Born Healthy and Her Life Still Matters. Kim Brown, Iowa: My son died before he could benefit from Affordable Care Act protections. Pat White, West Virginia: Affordable Care Act has been good for America s health. Jeff Jeans, Arizona: Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, I m Standing Here Today Alive. Lauren Stiller Rikleen, Massachusetts: A Mother's Response To The Health Care Debate. Ken Norton, California: Google Exec Shares Story Of How Health Care Helped Son Before His Heartbreaking Death. Eleven stories, from across the country: If We Lose Our Health Care
Public Support Keeps Going Down Support for the Senate s bill has fallen to shockingly low numbers: USA Today found that just 12 percent of Americans approve of the Senate bill - that s lower than the percent of Americans who approve of Vladimir Putin. A Fox News poll found a stunning 54 percent oppose the bill. The GOP s base isn t even particularly keen on the bill, with 52 percent of Republican voters opposed. Support continues to plummet even amongst Trump s supporters - down 14 points since last May and with only 8 percent citing repeal as their most important priority. GOP Makes Clear Health Care Repeal Can t Be Salvaged As Senate Republicans rushed for the exit, they laid out the detailed case for why there is no way to salvage this sinking ship. In fact, there is no health care repeal bill which meets the standards Republican senators have set. Their criticism of this bill ended up as an indictment of health care repeal. Every CBO analysis of health care repeal confirmed it will cut coverage from millions, raise costs and eliminate consumer protections. Those are all things GOP Senators have now pledged they won t support. Take a look for yourself Senator Susan Collins (R-ME): So Many Fundamental Problems With The Bill. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): We Should Be Working With Our Colleagues On The Other Side. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV): Republicans And Democrats Should Sit Down Together. Senator Dean Heller (R- NV): You Have To Protect Medicaid Expansion. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI): I Wish We Were Doing This On A Bipartisan Basis. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): Bill Is Too Much Of A Cliff. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): This Bill Will Not Ensure Access To Affordable Health Care In West Virginia Senator John McCain (R-AZ): We Would Lose A Lot of Money. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT): It Ignored Middle-Class Families. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND): We Want To Ensure That Low-Income People Have Access To Health Care Coverage Senator Rob Portman (R-OH): I Continue To Have Real Concerns About The Medicaid Policies Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE): Nebraskans Are Dissatisfied With It And So Am I. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS): The Senate Health Care Bill Missed The Mark For Kansans. Updated List: State-Level Data and Reports Experts have released a trove of state-level data on the impact of the Senate repeal bill on states. A summary of available resources may be found here: DATA SOURCES RELEASED SINCE JUNE 26 CBO REPORT State-by-State Data Coverage Loss by 2026: The Congressional Budget Office estimates that Senate repeal will rip apart coverage for 22 million by 2026 - more than the populations of 16 states, including Alaska, Maine, West Virginia and Nevada, combined. [Center for American Progress, 6/26/17] Coverage Loss by 2022, Percentage Change in Uninsured Rate, and Loss in Federal Medicaid Funding by 2022: Urban Institute research finds that 24.7 million more Americans could be uninsured by 2022 under the Senate-introduced Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) and 23.0 million under the House-passed American Health Care Act (AHCA). By 2022, federal Medicaid funding under the BCRA would decrease by $102.2 billion. [Urban Institute, 6/28/17]
Premium Increases by 2020, Percent Increase in Premiums for Today s Benchmark (Silver) Plan: Overall, marketplace enrollees would pay on average 74 percent more towards the premium for a benchmark silver plan in 2020 under the BCRA than under current law. Younger enrollees would see modest increases on average (10 percent for those under age 18; 17 percent for those ages 18 to 34), while average premiums would more than double for enrollees ages 55 to 64. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 6/26/17] Veterans Losing Medicaid Coverage: The Senate repeal bill is even worse for veterans than the House bill. Under the Senate s version, 459,500 veterans would lose Medicaid coverage by 2026. [Center for American Progress, 6/27/17] State Medicaid Budget Cuts by 2026: New analysis from Avalere finds that states could see federal funding for their Medicaid programs decline by between 6% and 26% under the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) by 2026. [Avalere, 6/28/17] Number of Increased Deaths by State: Researchers estimate that if the Senate bill becomes law, 22,900 excess deaths will occur in 2020 and the figure will grow over time. 26,500 extra deaths will take place in 2026. Over the next decade, we estimate that a total of 208,500 unnecessary deaths will occur if the law is passed. [Harvard / Vox, 6/28/17] DATA SOURCES RELEASED IN ANTICIPATION OF OR ON SENATE BILL State-by-State Data Senate Bill Effect on Premiums Net Tax Credits (30, 45, 60 Year Old, Income Levels) and Reduction of Tax Credits: The Senate repeal bill would increase premiums, net of tax credits, for most marketplace consumers who receive subsidies. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/25/17] Senate Bill Effect on Medicaid Cost Burden on States: To maintain Medicaid expansion, states would have to raise their spending by $43 billion in 2024 alone, and by even more in later years. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/23/17] Senate Opioid Fund Not Enough: Given the continuing growth of opioid use, the total cost of coverage for people receiving substance use treatment for opioids could reach $220 billion over the next decade. [Center for American Progress, 6/20/17] Senate Bill Effect on Annual and Lifetime Limit Protections in Employer-Sponsored Insurance: Nationwide, we estimate that the essential health benefit waivers would result in annual caps on benefits for nearly 27 million Americans with employer-based coverage. About 20 million people with employer-based coverage would face lifetime limits on coverage. [Center for American Progress, 6/15/17] County-Level Data Premiums and Tax Credits under the Affordable Care Act vs. the Senate Better Care Reconciliation Act: This map includes premium and tax credit estimates by county for current ACA marketplace enrollees at age 27, 40, or 60 with an annual income of $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, $50,000, $60,000, $75,000, $100,000, or 351% of the federal poverty level (which is just above the cutoff for tax credits under the BCRA). The map includes estimates for premiums, tax credits, and premiums after tax credits for bronze and silver plans in each county in 2020. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 6/23/17] A Look Back: Actions From Last Week
Senate Republicans decision to delay a vote can be traced directly back to the grassroots actions taken by individuals and groups across the country. This past week included hundreds of rallies, protests, sit-ins, letter deliveries and phone banks. Below are some of the highlights: OFA s Week of Healthcare Events included more than 60 events in targeted states. OFA Volunteers in West Virginia: AFL-CIO launched a six-figure ad campaign to educate the public on the dangers of the Republican health care plan, encouraging senators to reject it. MoveOn kicked off its Resistance Summer with more than 400 community cookouts in 49 states, while Sen. Bernie Sanders hosted three Don t take Our Health Care rallies in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Senator Bernie Sanders At a Don t Take Our Health Care Rally in Ohio: Planned Parenthood s Week of Action included numerous rallies across the country where PP supporters shined a light on the dangers of the Republican health care plan and its threat to defend PP. A Proud Planned Parenthood Supporter:
The People s Filibuster on Capitol Hill took place Tuesday in front of the capitol. Hosted by a coalition of organizations, hundreds of individuals made their voices heard while Democratic senators passionately spoke of defending the ACA. Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks at the People s Filibuster: The Faith Coalition Vigil was a 24-hour vigil led by faith organizations which took place between the Capitol and the Supreme Court. Rabbi David Saperstein speaks at the Faith Vigil: