Coloradans should brace for higher premiums and dwindling coverage

PRESS STATEMENT
Date: December 1, 2017
Contact: Adam Fox, 303-563-9108, afox@cohealthinitiative.org
 

This statement is attributable to Adam Fox, Director of Strategic Engagement of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative and Coalition Organizer for the Protect Our Care Colorado Coalition.

DENVER –  Colorado health care advocates decried the passage of a Senate Republican tax “heist” that repeals a major component of the ACA and makes health care cuts that will hit working and middle-class Coloradans.

“Senate Republicans successfully deceived their constituents and crammed their horrendous tax heist down the gullet of the average American today. At its core, this bill takes health coverage from working families to give tax cuts to the wealthiest 1 percent and multinational corporations. This bill burdens future generations by adding more than $1 trillion to the deficit. We know from their budget Republicans plan to pay for this by gutting Medicaid by $1 trillion, Medicare by $400 billion, and cutting other programs middle-class families rely on to get by and get ahead.”

“Just when Colorado has achieved a historic level of insurance coverage, this bill destabilizes health care by causing 235,000 Coloradans to lose health insurance or face 10 percent higher premiums year over year by repealing the individual responsibility requirement of the ACA. This bill is a double-whammy for working families by not just increasing the taxes most of them pay in the long run, but by cutting health care, education, and nutrition programs.”

“We’re terribly disappointed that Senator Cory Gardner put his donors before his constituents in supporting this irresponsible tax heist. If the House passes this bill, he and any other Colorado members of Congress that supported it will be responsible for blowing up the deficit, gutting health care and other programs to give tax cuts to the wealthy and big corporations, raising insurance premiums, and hurting Colorado’s working families.”

“We call on all of Colorado’s Representatives to oppose this malicious bill or find a bipartisan approach that actually helps the middle-class through a deliberative and transparent legislative process. It’s not too late for our Republican Representatives to undo the damage of their original votes for this tax heist.”

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Protect Our Care Colorado is a coalition of 48 organizations in Colorado advocating to protect the health care of Coloradans. To learn more about the coalition, visit  ProtectOurCareCo.org

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