Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Blast Trump for Rising Health Care Costs and Affordability Crisis for American Families

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is leading a letter with his Senate colleagues, including Oregon U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, slamming Trump for his failure to address rising health care costs for American families.

Wyden, Merkley, and the lawmakers highlighted the worsening affordability crisis, especially for health care - the crux of the fight surrounding Donald Trump and Republicans' ongoing government shutdown.

"Over 90 percent of American voters say it is important for Congress and the President to lower health care costs," the lawmakers wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "We urge the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans to join us to lower Americans' health care costs and reopen the government."

The senators explained that Trump has raised health care costs for Americans in the following ways:

1. An estimated 154 million Americans with employer-sponsored health insurance will face the biggest premium increase in over a decade because of Trump's policies;
2. More than 24 million Americans who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act will see their premiums skyrocket next year, and families receiving enhanced premium tax credits will face the largest price hike in history if the tax credits expire;
3. About 15 million Americans will get kicked off of their health insurance because of Trump and congressional Republicans' budget law, and millions more with Medicaid will face new, higher out-of-pocket costs;
4. An estimated 15 million Americans with $49 billion in medical debt are being denied federal relief, while 15 million more are at higher risk of accruing medical debt; Millions of Americans will have to pay "hundreds of dollars more in out-of-pocket costs" for Affordable Care Act coverage due to the Trump administration's final Marketplace rule; and
5. Millions of Americans will pay more for prescription drugs due to Trump and congressional Republicans' nearly $9 billion handout to Big Pharma.

In addition to Wyden, the letter was led by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. In addition to Merkley, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Richard Durbin, D-Ill., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Andy Kim, D-N.J., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Peter Welch, D-Vt.

The full letter is here.

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