Chicago - The Committee to Protect Medicare today called on President Trump to reverse healthcare cuts he announced last week that would affect millions of families. Made up of hundreds of physicians in more than 30 states, the CTP applauded the U.S. House after it voted late Thursday to halt Trump’s plan to cut Medicaid through so-called “block grants” that would restrict the program.

“President Trump’s latest healthcare cuts will endanger the health, security and lives of millions of American families, and we join the U.S. House in calling on him to reverse this dangerous action,” said CTP Executive Director Rob Davidson, MD, an emergency physician in Michigan. “Instead of cutting healthcare as President Trump continues to do, we should expand it, protect patients with preexisting conditions and reduce the astronomical costs of prescription drugs. As physicians, members of the Committee to Protect Medicare see firsthand how expanding healthcare improves people’s health, enables them to work and give back, inspires hope and saves lives. Preventing millions of families from getting healthcare helps no one and only puts people at risk.”

The U.S. House last night voted to pass a resolution of disapproval against Trump’s Medicaid block grant scheme, which would reduce or end healthcare by limiting funds for a program that serves 75 million Americans. The vote was 223-190, with all Republicans opposing the resolution.

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To date, 37 states and the District of Columbia have expanded eligibility for Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act, which Trump wants to eliminate. Nationwide, Medicaid expansion under the ACA has helped 20 million people who were once uninsured get healthcare. Altogether, Medicaid today provides healthcare for 75 million people through federal-state partnerships. Several states, however, still refuse to expand Medicaid, including Texas and Florida, denying around 2.5 million people access to healthcare.

Block grants cap the amount of federal funds for states to administer Medicaid, resulting in less healthcare for eligible families and allowing insurance companies to raise costs and eliminate treatment and services.

Despite repeated promises to protect healthcare, including protecting healthcare for patients with preexisting conditions and reducing prescription drug costs, Trump continues to break those promises with actions that actually limit people’s healthcare and drives up their medical bills.

Trump continues to support a lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, which would jeopardize protections for 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions -- despite promising as recently as his State of the Union on Tuesday that he would protect patients with preexisting conditions, which prompted patients to fiercely denounce him.

On Jan. 22, Trump said he would cut Medicare, telling CNBC that cutting Medicare would be “the easiest of all things” as a way to reduce a national budget deficit that exploded because of a $1.7-trillion corporate tax handout. He later tried to walk back his comment. Trump has repeatedly made campaign promises to leave Medicare alone.

In October, Trump signed an executive order that would open the door to greater privatization of Medicare and allow private insurance companies to raise costs while limiting care for seniors.

Trump’s 2020 budget slashes Medicare.

Trump broke promises he made to let Medicare negotiate lower drug prices.

Since Trump took office, millions of Americans have lost their healthcare and millions more are underinsured, meaning they can’t afford huge out-of-pocket costs and often delay care.

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