Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy called President Trump’s decision to end cost share reduction payments “healthcare arson.”
“This is the equivalent of healthcare arson,” the Democrat said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“He’s really setting the entire healthcare system on fire because the president is upset that the United States Congress won’t pass a repeal bill that is supported by 17 percent of the American public.”
Trump’s decision to end the payments will likely cause premiums for people with pre-existing conditions and the elderly to increase, unless Congress comes through with a bill appropriating funding for the subsidies. So far, no legislation has seriously advanced to do so.
Murphy said it’s an attempt to kill Obamacare without actually having to pass a bill to repeal the law.
“Without the subsidies there will be many people who won’t be able to provide insurance and afford it, and the other set of subsidies that go to individuals will actually increase, meaning the deficit goes up, the amount of money we spend overall on the Affordable Care Act goes up because all that happens is the payments that used to be going to insurance companies now get substitute with increased tax credits for individuals to afford the coverage,” he said.
“The fact of the matter is the president is trying to sabotage the American healthcare system, trying to put a gun to the head of our constituents by taking away their healthcare or raising their costs in order to force us to repeal a bill the American public doesn’t want us to repeal.”
