Ahead of Debate, Trump Still Attacking Floridians’ Health Care and Protections for Pre-existing Conditions

As Donald Trump takes the debate stage tonight, Floridians will remember how, amid a deadly pandemic that has already taken the lives of more than 14,000 Floridians, Trump is suing to overturn the ACA. With the Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments on the case just one week after the election, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Floridians. 

“During tonight’s debate, don’t let Donald Trump distract you from the fact that he is fighting tooth and nail to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a plan for the millions of Floridians who will lose coverage or see their premiums skyrocket,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo. “Trump’s had four years to deliver on his promises and he’s come up empty handed. Joe Biden is ready on day one to deliver for Floridians and improve access to quality, affordable care.”

Trump’s Broken Promises on Health Care 

In 2016, Trump promised Floridians that he was going to create a new health care program and that people would be paying less for health insurance. 

• “We’re going to have great health care. By the way, for a fraction of the price. Much less expensive.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Tampa Bay FL, 3/14/16]

This was a lie. In reality, Trump has pushed “junk health insurance,” proposed cutting billions in funding for Medicaid and Medicare, and still has not produced a replacement plan for the ACA 

• Trump’s latest budget proposal would cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare which serves over 4.5 million Floridians. 
• Trump expanded the availability of “junk health insurance” plans exempt from covering the ACA’s “essential health benefits,” such as maternity care, emergency care, and prescription drugs. 
• Trump’s ACA sabotage has already led to higher premiums for Floridians in 2019 because the repeal of the individual mandate disincentivizes younger, healthier people from signing up.
• Trump’s executive order that supposedly protects pre-existing conditions “lacks teeth,” according to health law and policy experts. 

In the midst of a pandemic, Trump is fighting to overturn the ACA, which could result in 8 Floridians with pre-existing conditions losing protections. 

• When the pandemic began, Trump declined to launch a special ACA open enrollment period, which could have helped the 607,000 Floridians who lost their health insurance when they lost their jobs during the early months of the pandemic. 
• If Trump is successful, Florida’s uninsured population would spike 67% 
• Without the ACA’s protections, as many as 8 million Floridians with pre-existing conditions could be denied coverage or charged higher rates. This includes 973,800 children with a pre-existing condition.

If Trump succeeds in terminating the ACA, Floridians would see higher costs 

• Repealing the ACA would cause premiums to shoot up by as much as 100% or more for the 130 million and counting Americans under 65 who have pre-existing conditions. 
• If the ACA is repealed, at least 22 million people would face increased premiums due to losing expanded access to Medicaid or cost-sharing reductions for the individual marketplace. 

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have a plan to build off the Affordable Care Act by expanding coverage and lowering costs for health care and prescription drugs 

• Joe Biden will continue to protect and build on the Affordable Care Act as President. He will:
• Make sure every American has access to affordable health insurance.
• Stand up to Big Pharma and negotiate lower costs for prescription drugs.
• Ensure health care is a right for everyone — not a privilege reserved for some.