TRUMPCARE: Sen. Murray & Senate Dems, Joined by Families of Medically Complex Children, Highlight the Dangers of the Cruz Amendment

 ***WATCH SENATOR MURRAY’S REMARKS HERE***

 Senate GOP considering Cruz Amendment that would undermine protections, spike coverage costs for patients with preexisting condition, leaving them at risk of being priced out of care  

“Ted Cruz’s health plan is simple: ask sick people to pay more”—LINK

Today Sen. Murray, Senate Dems slammed Cruz Amendment, urged Senate GOP to abandon Trumpcare once and for all 

Senate Dems were joined by families of medically complex children

Sen. Murray: “Even conservative experts are calling [Cruz Amendment] “the definition of a death spiral” for the health care system”” 

Washington D.C. – Led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate health committee, today Senate Democrats held a press conference with families of medically complex children to underscore the life-threatening effects the Cruz Amendment to Senate Republicans’ Trumpcare plan would pose to children and adults with preexisting conditions. This radical proposal would likely cause cost-sharing—as well as insurance premiums—for people with preexisting conditions and their families to rise exponentially. And it would leave sick families at all income levels in Washington state and nationwide without access to affordable, quality care.

While visiting Washington state last week, Sen. Murray heard directly from several patients and providers in Everett and Seattle about how devastating Trumpcare would be to Washington state and is urging families to keep telling their stories as she leads the fight against this legislation in the Senate. In addition to raising the cost of care, the Republican Trumpcare bill would weaken protections for over three million Washingtonians with preexisting conditions.

ICYMI—Yesterday, Sen. Murray slammed the proposed Cruz Amendment on the Senate floor, calling it a “two-track plan to make middle class workers and families pay more.” Video of Sen. Murray’s floor speech can be found HERE.

Key excerpts from Senator Murray’s remarks:

“As Trumpcare is currently written, it would make an end-run around protections that ensure a pre-existing condition doesn’t leave a worker or family with unaffordable medical bills, and would price many of the tens of millions of people who have pre-existing conditions out of being able to access care.”

“But Senate Republican leaders have now said they are willing to go even further. There is a very real possibility that the version of Trumpcare Senate Republicans plan to release tomorrow will include that latest backroom deal to completely pull the rug out from under our most vulnerable patients.”

“Here’s how it works: insurance companies would get to offer plans that waive any protection they want; and they would be able to tell people with pre-existing conditions—or anyone who happens to get sick in the middle of the year—“tough luck.” Putting insurance companies back in charge—and making patients and families pay higher premiums and out of pocket costs—is simply unacceptable.”

Watch video of Sen. Murray’s remarks HERE.

Full text of Senator Murray’s remarks:

Thank you all for being here—and thank you especially to the Hung and Morrison families—and especially Timmy and Xiomara for sharing your stories.

The work you’re doing to make clear just how damaging Trumpcare would be has truly made all the difference.

We’re here today to make one thing very clear: any Senate Republican who promised to protect people with pre-existing conditions should be right here fighting back against Trumpcare with us, and they should be shouting from the rooftops about just how devastating the latest backroom deal Senator McConnell is negotiating with extreme conservatives would be, especially for children like Timmy and Xiomara, and so many other patients across the country.

Because—as Trumpcare is currently written, it would make an end-run around protections that ensure a pre-existing condition doesn’t leave a worker or family with unaffordable medical bills, and would price many of the tens of millions of people who have pre-existing conditions out of being able to access care.

But Senate Republican leaders have now said they are willing to go even further. There is a very real possibility that the version of Trumpcare Senate Republicans plan to release tomorrow will include that latest backroom deal to completely pull the rug out from under our most vulnerable patients.

Here’s how it works: insurance companies would get to offer plans that waive any protection they want; and they would be able to tell people with pre-existing conditions—or anyone who happens to get sick in the middle of the year—“tough luck.”

Putting insurance companies back in charge—and making patients and families pay higher premiums and out of pocket costs—is simply unacceptable.

In fact, this proposal is so extreme that even conservative experts are calling it “the definition of a death spiral” for the health care system.

Senate Republicans might not have to face the uncertainty that would cause, or pay those higher costs, or lose coverage—but those are the fears that families like Elena’s and Michelle’s have right now.

So I am pleased that some Senate Republicans have already rejected Trumpcare—and specifically this awful idea that would double down and make it even meaner.

I hope those who haven’t will take some time to hear what is at stake for the families who have joined us here today—make the right choice—and take a stand against Trumpcare and the backroom deals that are making it even worse for the people we all serve.