Pelosi, Schumer Letter to President Trump: Don’t Sabotage, Work With Democrats to Continue to Bring Down Americans’ Health Costs
As Leader Pelosi and Leader Schumer write, "Democrats have always been ready to work across the aisle to improve and update the Affordable Care Act. It is our hope that we can work together to prevent the increase in premiums and other health care costs for hard-working Americans, including the soaring cost of prescription drugs – a vital issue you have raised in the past."
Full text of the letter can be found below:
March 30, 2017
The Honorable Donald Trump
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Trump,
"First, do no harm." This historic maxim guides doctors' care for their patients and it must also guide our actions when it comes to the health care and coverage of the American people.
The Republican bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act did not meet this test. It would have reduced coverage, eliminated protections, and increased costs for hard-working families and seniors across America. The bill was a bad deal for the American people and now, as Speaker Ryan acknowledged, the ACA will remain the law of the land for the foreseeable future.
Democrats have always been ready to work across the aisle to improve and update the Affordable Care Act. It is our hope that we can work together to prevent the increase in premiums and other health care costs for hard-working Americans, including the soaring cost of prescription drugs – a vital issue you have raised in the past.
You may be pleased to know, the ACA's insurance marketplaces are not imploding – an assessment confirmed by the Congressional Budget Office, Standard & Poors, and the American Academy of Actuaries. Standard & Poors, in fact, predicted "continued improvement" in the market in 2017. Because the ACA's subsidies automatically adjust to keep Americans' monthly payments to an affordable percentage of their income, the overwhelming percentage of consumers are shielded from even large premium hikes. The marketplaces will remain durable, unless there is willful action to destroy them.
There are 12.2 million Americans who signed up for health plans in the ACA Health Insurance Marketplaces for 2017, and are relying on these plans for their coverage. In just a few months, insurers will be making bids for participating in the 2018 Marketplaces. As President, you have a responsibility to protect and sustain the marketplaces and the coverage they provide to so many Americans.
In particular, your Administration must implement the law and stabilize the marketplaces by:
- Ensuring Cost Sharing Reduction payments are paid;
- Enforcing the Individual Shared Responsibility Provision;
- Working with States and insurers to make sure that consumers everywhere have options;
- Providing adequate funding for HealthCare.gov, and for outreach and grants to Navigators.
It is time to move forward for the American people. Honoring our responsibility to do no harm, we should take this opportunity to continue to lower costs, improve quality, and expand coverage, while continuing to improve the stability of the marketplaces.
Thank you for your review of our concerns on behalf of the American people.
best regards,
NANCY PELOSI
House Democratic Leader
CHARLES SCHUMER
Senate Democratic Leader