Rep. Doggett: Trump Wreaks Health Care Chaos by Tweet and Decree

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), senior member of the House Committee on Ways & Means and Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Tax Policy, issued a statement challenging President Donald Trump's decision to cut off critical cost-sharing reduction payments, jeopardizing health care coverage for millions across the country. Rep. Doggett said:

"Like the Russians, who sought to sow chaos in last year's election, Trump, the master saboteur, by tweet and decree, is wreaking health care chaos. The Trump insurance ‘surcharge' is now soaring—with nonpartisan analysis estimating that this single action will hike premiums by at least 20 percent. With his repeated interference, Trump's latest one-two punch is meant to knock out affordable health care."

In August, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that terminating the cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers would increase the net federal deficit by $194 billion from 2017-2026. Cost-sharing reductions are designed to lower out-of-pocket costs for consumers. CBO also calculated that gross premiums for silver plans would rise by 20 percent in 2018 and 25 percent by 2020.