Hartford, Ct. – Donald Trump’s threat to sabotage the country’s health insurance markets by withholding cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) – federal payments that health insurance companies rely on to keep coverage affordable – would devastate some of our country’s most vulnerable communities and directly affect millions of Americans who could see their premiums rise by double digits. The mere suggestion of stopping these federal payments has already created major uncertainty in the nation’s insurance market, causing insurers to raise premiums or leave markets entirely.

CSR payments help keep coverage affordable for more than 75,000 Connecticut residents, accounting for 77 percent of the total marketplace enrollees in the state.

“Donald Trump has made clear that he plans to sabotage the health insurance market if he doesn’t get his way on Trumpcare. This would have disastrous consequences for thousands of Connecticut families. Democrats – and many Republicans around the country – are speaking out against this blatantly political threat. It’s telling that the GOP gubernatorial candidates, many of whom supported Trumpcare, are too afraid of Donald Trump and national Republicans to stand up for Connecticut residents and make their voices heard.” – Connecticut Democratic Party Executive Director Michael Mandell

BACKGROUND

Axios Map: Who loses if Trump cuts off health insurer payments

“We could get a decision from Trump today on whether the administration will keep paying insurers for their cost-sharing reduction subsidies to low-income people. A few things to keep in mind if he stops the payments:

“Insurers have to keep providing the subsidies anyway — they just won’t be reimbursed. That’s why they’d respond by raising premiums for next year by as much as another 20%.”

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