Administration’s Decision Not To Defend Health Law Will Hurt Families, Markets, Bipartisan Group Of Governors Says
“We’re asking the Administration to reverse their decision and instead work with Congress and Governors on bipartisan solutions to protect coverage and lower health care costs for all Americans, all while protecting those with preexisting conditions,” nine governors say in their letter to the Trump administration.
The Associated Press:
GOP, Dem Governors Back Benefits For Pre-Existing Conditions
A bipartisan group of governors is speaking out against a Trump administration decision that could narrow access to health insurance benefits for those with pre-existing conditions. Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and the governors of Alaska, Pennsylvania, Nevada, North Carolina, Montana, Washington and Maryland issued a joint statement Monday. They said the administration’s move would hurt families in their states, add uncertainty to insurance markets and go against American values. (6/18)
The Hill:
Bipartisan Group Of Governors Denounces Trump Move On Pre-Existing Conditions
“The administration’s disappointing decision to no longer defend this provision of federal law threatens health care coverage for many in our states with pre-existing conditions and adds uncertainty and higher costs for Americans who purchase their own health insurance,” the governors said. The statement was signed by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I), Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D), Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R), Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D), Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D). (Sullivan, 6/18)
Meanwhile, in news from the states —
Dallas Morning News:
Fewer Texas Children Are Uninsured, But Some Fear The Momentum Could Be Lost
The number of uninsured children in Texas dropped 23.1 percent between 2013 and 2016, says a new report that links the decline to a booming state economy and to the rollout of the Affordable Care Act. As more adults gained access to health insurance, either through an employer or on the ACA marketplace, that benefit trickled down to kids, say researchers from the State Health Access Data Assistance Center. (Rice, 6/18)
The CT Mirror:
Murphy Blames Higher Health Insurance Costs On Trump
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Monday that the continuing attacks on the Affordable Care Act by President Trump and congressional Republicans are leading to higher insurance rates and jeopardizing care of Americans with pre-existing medical conditions. At a press conference in Hartford, the senator was joined by three advocates in criticizing the Trump administration for refusing to defend provisions of the Affordable Care Act that required most Americans to carry health insurance and protect consumers with pre-existing conditions. (Pazniokas, 6/18)
Georgia Health News:
Number Of Uninsured Kids In Georgia Down Sharply Under ACA
The state has seen a decrease of more than 85,000 in its number of uninsured children since the Affordable Care Act was implemented, a new report says. Georgia had the fourth-highest such decrease among states from 2013 to 2016, said the report from the University of Minnesota’s State Health Access Data Assistance Center. (Miller, 6/18)
