TALLAHASSEE, FL – We’re already seeing why Pinellas  seniors and residents can’t trust lying Lobbyist David Jolly to tell the truth about the Affordable Care Act. Here are the facts about how Washington Lobbyist Jolly’s radical repeal of the Affordable Care Act would make Pinellas seniors and residents pay more:

Lobbyist Jolly’s radical repeal of the Affordable Care Act would bring back the Medicare prescription drug donut hole, making seniors pay more for their medicine.

·        Jolly’s Plan Would Re-Open Medicare Prescription-Drug Doughnut Hole. “There’s a Medicare prescription-drug coverage abyss that is playfully referred to as the ‘doughnut hole,’ though there is nothing sweet or amusing about it. But thanks to the Affordable Care Act, which had a rocky launch last week, Medicare beneficiaries will see that gap shrink again in 2013 and each year until 2020.” [Wall Street Journal, 10/06/13]

·        Jolly’s Plan Would Eliminate Savings for 7.3 Million Medicare Beneficiaries Across the Country Who Have Saved $8.9 Billion on Prescription Drug Costs Since 2010.  “ObamaCare has saved seniors and people with disabilities nearly $9 billion in prescription drug costs, according to data touted Tuesday by the Obama administration. According to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, 7.3 million people who reached the ‘doughnut hole’ in their Medicare prescription drug coverage have saved $8.9 billion on their prescription drugs since the law was enacted in 2010. That’s an average savings of $1,209 per person.” [The Hill, 11/26/13]

·        Jolly’s Plan Would Eliminate Savings for Over 226,000 Medicare Beneficiaries in Florida Who Saved $186 Million on Prescription Drug Costs in 2013.  The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare services estimated that 226,484 Medicare beneficiaries in Florida saved $186,824,869 on prescription drug costs, an average discount of $825 per beneficiary, in the first 10 months of 2013. [CMS Press Release,11/26/13; CMS 2013 Prescription Drug Savings]

USA TODAY: Lobbyist Jolly’s radical repeal “would mean higher costs.”

·        USA TODAY Headline: “Repealing health care law would mean higher costs.”

·        National Journal Headline: “Republicans Unveil Their Obamacare Replacement — The plan is for people to pay for more of their health care.”

·        Repeal Would Mean “All Consumers Would Take a Huge Financial Hit.”“The consequences of repeal, health care officials and industry analysts say, go beyond the fact that 9 million people would suddenly lose their insurance or that anyone with a pre-existing condition would either lose insurance or pay much higher premiums. All consumers would take a huge financial hit, because health care costs would continue to rise, and insurers would probably recoup their losses by charging higher premiums. [USA TODAY, 2/1/14]

RADICAL REPEAL OPPOSED BY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SUPPORTED BY LESS THAN 1/3 OF PINELLAS VOTERS.

·        Kaiser Health News Headline: “Joining GOP Trend, U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Urges Fix, Not Repeal, Of Obamacare.”

·        Tampa Bay Times: “Less than one-third of Pinellas County voters want to repeal the Affordable Care Act.”