Raimondo speaks out against Trumpcare

GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO took aim at Trumpcare on Thursday.  / PBN FILE PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI
GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO took aim at Trumpcare on Thursday. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo warned on Thursday against the effects of Trumpcare, the president’s alternative to the Affordable Care Act, saying it would put in jeopardy health insurance coverage for 70,000 Rhode Islanders.

“Trumpcare would mean less coverage, fewer protections and higher costs for all Rhode Islanders, and worse yet, some of the most vulnerable communities in our state would be hurt the most,” Raimondo said in a statement.

Raimondo outlined at a late morning press conference how the health care proposal released earlier this month by congressional Republicans would adversely affect the elderly, low-income residents and families in the state.

She said she hears concerns about Trumpcare daily from residents about what it may mean for them.

- Advertisement -

“What I tell them is what I’ve been saying since November – that we will stand up and fight for Rhode Islanders to make sure that no matter what happens at the federal level, people in our state have access to the care they need,” Raimondo said.

Members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation also affirmed their commitment to ensuring that Rhode Islanders have access to quality, affordable health care.

U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin said “tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders will lose health coverage if the Republican-led American Health Care Act becomes law.”

Raimondo, in her statement, said the Affordable Care Act is working in Rhode Island, noting the uninsured rate in the state dropped to 4.2 percent from nearly 12 percent five years ago.

Expanded Medicaid access also resulted in coverage for approximately 70,000 adults who previously did not have coverage. More than 30,000 Rhode Islanders are insured through HealthSource RI, 90 percent of whom receive federal subsidies to make coverage more affordable, according to information from the governor’s office. HSRI is the state’s health benefits exchange

According to Raimondo, Trumpcare in Rhode Island would:

  • Increase costs for older adults buying standard coverage through HealthSource RI by as much as $3,700 per year
  • Put as many as 8,000 Rhode Island jobs at risk
  • Eliminate $8 million a year in federal funding for public health work
  • Put treatment for 2,500 people with opioid-use disorder at risk

Providence resident John Jacobson credited the ACA with saving his life. He said he is worried that he will no longer be able to afford leukemia medication if the ACA is repealed.

“When I was at my darkest hour, Rhode Island stood by me and brought me back to health, and I will never forget that,” Jacobson said in prepared remarks. “This would not have been possible without the passage of the Affordable Care Act. I urge Congress to work on making the ACA better with a focus on reducing costs.”

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are expected to vote today on the American Health Care Act.

No posts to display