Rep. Johnson Unveils New Report: GOP Health Care Sabotage Hitting Families With Staggering New Costs

DECATUR, GA – Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) highlighted a new study from the Center for American Progress showing that the GOP’s years-long sabotage campaign has saddled hard-working families in every Congressional district in America with soaring new costs. 

With legislation to sabotage the health marketplaces to executive actions to cut off key stabilization payments, slash the enrollment period in half and, push families into junk health insurance plans that don’t cover essential benefits or protect people with pre-existing conditions, Republicans are responsible for rising health insurance premiums across America.

“At every turn, Republicans have pushed their bitter sabotage campaign to raise Georgians’ health costs and gut their coverage,” said Rep. Johnson.  “The Republican health care agenda means vicious attacks on Georgians with pre-existing conditions, double-digit premium increases, shoddy junk coverage for families and massive tax breaks to Big Pharma – at the same time they hike Georgians’ prescription drug costs.  Make no mistake: Georgians’ health care will never be safe as long as Republicans control Washington.”

After Republicans triggered premium hikes of an average of 37 percent nationally in 2018, GOP health care sabotage is now set to hit Georgia’s families with soaring new costs in 2019.

The district-by-district CAP report finds that the health care sabotage provisions included in the GOP tax bill and the Trump Administration’s effort to push families into junk health insurance plans is having a stark impact on premiums across Georgia’s Fourth District in 2019:

•        A family of four will see an annual marketplace premium that is $3,490 higher.
•        A 55-year-old couple will see an annual premium $3,840 higher on average.
•        An unsubsidized 40-year-old will pay an annual extra $1,100 on average. 

“I am proud to fight to deliver A Better Deal for the people than this Republican raw deal on health care,” said Rep. Johnson.  “Democrats have a strong, detailed plan to lower the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs, and to strengthen Medicare, Medicaid and the health care of millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions.  Democrats are fighting for the people, while the GOP cravenly puts Big Pharma and big corporations first.”

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