10.12.2017 / Press Release

President Trump’s Executive Order Sabotages Health Care by Pushing Junk Coverage

Washington, D.C. – President Trump signed an executive order today undermining health insurance. The executive order asks HHS and the Department of Labor to take the Trump sabotage campaign against high quality health insurance to new heights.

Following is the statement of Frederick Isasi, executive director for Families USA, on President Trump’s actions:

“Families across the nation are not confused about what they want –they are raising their voices and demanding affordable health insurance that provides access to high quality health care and real, financial protections. President Trump’s executive order moves the nation in exactly the opposite direction by allowing the sale of junk insurance, luring healthy customers out of comprehensive plans protected by the safeguards in federal law.

“When the President brags that this order will lead to more options for consumers, he means options that trick consumers and expose them to terrible financial risk. For example, when they need ongoing hospital, home health, maternity, mental health, or other care, they may be surprised to learn that their policies don’t cover these life savings services or that, despite a low premium, they have tens of thousands of dollars in out of pocket costs.

“Likewise, the executive order could significantly impact existing state insurance pools, decimating the protections under current law to ensure that people with preexisting conditions are able to obtain coverage that meets their needs.

“This order is only the latest in a string of destructive actions the President has taken to sabotage the Affordable Care Act and destabilize the individual health insurance market, like threatening to withhold cost sharing reduction payments, cutting funding for enrollment efforts, and trimming the open enrollment period.

“Once again, the President’s action shows he’s not letting the health law ‘implode,’ he’s lighting the fuse.”