U.S. Senator Baldwin Leads Senators In Calling On President Trump To Immediately Make Clear His Position On Cost-sharing Reduction Payments

Press Release

As President Trump pushes partisan health care repeal efforts, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today led a group of 13 Senators in calling on the President to immediately make clear his position on the future of the cost-sharing reduction payments and to restore certainty in the health care marketplace.

"Your Administration's determination to undermine the benefits and coverage people have today with this partisan legislation is compounding uncertainty in the insurance market and will increase health insurance costs for consumers. In addition, your continued threats to stop the payments for the cost-sharing reductions provided under the Affordable Care Act -- which would immediately raise costs for millions of Americans -- further adds to this uncertainty. Taken together, you are breaking the promises you made just last week at a White House Rose Garden ceremony. Let there be no doubt, you cannot keep your promise to lower costs for Americans while you continue to threaten ending the cost-sharing reduction program and work to advance partisan legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act," the Senators wrote.

Senator Baldwin has been pushing President Trump to answer whether his Administration will appeal the federal district court's decision and defend the federal government's position in House v. Price, as well as whether he will continue making the cost-sharing reduction payments. Last month, Senator Baldwin led some members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, in sending a letter to President Trump, Secretary Price and Speaker Paul Ryan[baldwin.senate.gov] calling on them to halt all efforts to undermine the benefits in the ACA and protect the cost-sharing payments. Senator Baldwin also led a previous letter to President Trump[baldwin.senate.gov] on protecting the cost-sharing reduction payments as the White House and Congressional Republicans were shaping their Affordable Care Act repeal legislation.

Stopping cost-sharing payments would increase premiums by 19 percent and cost the federal government an additional $2.3 billion in 2018, according to recent analyses.[kff.org]

Senator Baldwin was joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in sending today's letter.

Source