Skip to main content

Dems rip Trump's 'spiteful' decision to end key ObamaCare payments | TheHill

posted onOctober 13, 2017
>

Article snippet: Democratic leaders blasted the administration on Thursday night over President Trump's decision to end key payments to insurers offering ObamaCare coverage, calling the move "spiteful." “Sadly, instead of working to lower health costs for Americans, it seems President Trump will singlehandedly hike Americans’ health premiums," Senate Minority Leader MORE (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement. "It is a spiteful act of vast, pointless sabotage leveled at working families and the middle class in every corner of America. Make no mistake about it, Trump will try to blame the Affordable Care Act, but this will fall on his back and he will pay the price for it," they continued. The White House announced Thursday night that the administration would no longer make the disbursements, known as cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments. The administration argued in a statement that it "cannot lawfully" make the payments. "Based on guidance from the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that there is no appropriation for cost-sharing reduction payments to insurance companies under Obamacare," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. Trump had repeatedly threatened to cut off the payments, which help low-income people afford co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs associated with health-insurance policies. Insurers have warned of massive premium hikes or an exit fr... Link to the full article to read more

Emotional score for this article