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    Frontliner Letter On Lowering Health Care Costs in Reconciliation - 5.23.22

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    Peter Sullivan
    Members of Congress wrote to Majority Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi urging them to include provisions to permanently lower health care costs and establish universal health coverage eligibility in upcoming reconciliation legislation. The letter cites that the enhanced ACA subsidies in the ARP led to record health insurance enrollment and substantial cost savings for individuals and families. However, these savings are temporary and premiums could spike by 20-60% in some states next year if the subsidies are not extended. The representatives ask the leaders to use reconciliation to make lower costs and expanded coverage permanent pillars of the health system.

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    Frontliner Letter On Lowering Health Care Costs in Reconciliation - 5.23.22

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    Peter Sullivan
    779 views4 pages
    Members of Congress wrote to Majority Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi urging them to include provisions to permanently lower health care costs and establish universal health coverage eligibility in upcoming reconciliation legislation. The letter cites that the enhanced ACA subsidies in the ARP led to record health insurance enrollment and substantial cost savings for individuals and families. However, these savings are temporary and premiums could spike by 20-60% in some states next year if the subsidies are not extended. The representatives ask the leaders to use reconciliation to make lower costs and expanded coverage permanent pillars of the health system.

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    Frontliner Letter on Lowering Health Care Costs in Reconciliation_5.23.22[10]

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    Members of Congress wrote to Majority Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi urging them to include provisions to permanently lower health care costs and establish universal health coverage eligibility in upcoming reconciliation legislation. The letter cites that the enhanced ACA subsidies in the ARP led to record health insurance enrollment and substantial cost savings for individuals and families. However, these savings are temporary and premiums could spike by 20-60% in some states next year if the subsidies are not extended. The representatives ask the leaders to use reconciliation to make lower costs and expanded coverage permanent pillars of the health system.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    779 views4 pages

    Frontliner Letter On Lowering Health Care Costs in Reconciliation - 5.23.22

    Uploaded by

    Peter Sullivan
    Members of Congress wrote to Majority Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi urging them to include provisions to permanently lower health care costs and establish universal health coverage eligibility in upcoming reconciliation legislation. The letter cites that the enhanced ACA subsidies in the ARP led to record health insurance enrollment and substantial cost savings for individuals and families. However, these savings are temporary and premiums could spike by 20-60% in some states next year if the subsidies are not extended. The representatives ask the leaders to use reconciliation to make lower costs and expanded coverage permanent pillars of the health system.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 4

    May 23, 2022

    The Honorable Charles E. Schumer The Honorable Nancy Pelosi


    Majority Leader Speaker
    United States Senate United States House of Representatives
    Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515

    Dear Majority Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi,

    We write today to strongly urge the inclusion of provisions to permanently lower the cost of
    health care in upcoming reconciliation legislation. Specifically, we ask that you include
    provisions to lower out-of-pocket health care costs and establish universal eligibility for health
    coverage. These provisions have already passed the House of Representatives in the 117th
    Congress, uniting our ideologically diverse Democratic Caucus around the shared conviction that
    every American deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care.

    Our constituents elected us to lower their health care costs – and through the American Rescue
    Plan Act, we did just that. Thanks to the enhanced advance premium tax credits in the American
    Rescue Plan Act, individuals and families have seen their health care costs decrease
    substantially. Monthly premiums for Marketplace plans have decreased by $50 per person on
    average, four out of five enrollees can find a plan for $10 or less per month,1 and families are
    saving an average of $2,400 on their annual premiums.2 These lower costs have led to historic
    coverage gains across the country: a record 14.5 million people signed up for Marketplace plans
    during the Open Enrollment period for 2022 coverage and more than 9 in 10 enrollees can
    receive premium tax credits.3 Rather than let these policies expire, we must extend them and
    make them a reliable feature of our health coverage system.

    The expanded advance premium tax credits have also been essential in advancing health equity.
    Historically, uninsured rates for Black, Hispanic,4 and rural adults5 have been higher than rates
    for white and urban adults – but thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act, these gaps are closing.
    Approximately 65.5 percent of Black adults are now able to access a zero-premium plan and
    1
    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: HHS Secretary Becerra Announces Reduced Costs and Expanded
    Access Available for Marketplace Health Coverage Under the American Rescue Plan. April 1, 2021.
    2
    The White House: Statement by President Biden on 4.6 Million Americans Gaining Health Insurance This Year.
    December 22, 2021.
    3
    Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Biden-Harris Administration Announces 14.5 Million Americans
    Signed Up for Affordable Health Care During Historic Open Enrollment Period. January 27, 2022.
    4
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics: Health Insurance and Access to
    Care. March 2018.
    5
    United States Census Bureau: Rates of Uninsured Fall in Rural Counties, Remain Higher Than Urban Counties.
    April 9, 2019.
    75.5 percent can find a plan for $50 or less per month. Among Hispanic adults, approximately
    68.7 percent now have access to a zero-premium plan and 79.9 percent can now find a plan for
    $50 or less per month.6 The advance premium tax credit expansion is expected to make zero- and
    low-premium health plans available to 78.7 percent and 88.4 percent, respectively, of current
    HealthCare.gov enrollees in rural counties.7

    These are historic advances in affordability, coverage, equity – and we regularly hear from
    constituents about how these significant reductions in their health care costs have changed their
    lives, offering financial relief at a time when American families need it the most. We cannot
    afford to backslide on this progress. Our constituents cannot afford to go back to paying upwards
    of 20 percent – or more – of their household income on health care premiums.

    These concerns are not hypothetical: earlier this month, insurers in Vermont became the first
    state to file proposed premiums for 2023 and are seeking approval of premium increases as large
    as 24.2 percent over 2022 rates.8 Other state-based Marketplaces have also shared data on
    projected premium increases for 2023 plans if the advance premium tax credit enhancements
    expire, including anticipated premium spikes of up to 40 percent for Minnesotans and up to 60
    percent and 71 percent for Nevadans and Californians, respectively, who did not qualify for
    advance premium tax credits prior to the American Rescue Plan Act. In Connecticut, more than
    65,000 enrollees will see their enhanced financial support reduced or eliminated, resulting in
    premium cost increases of an average of $1,584 per household per year.9

    These out-of-pocket cost increases are imminent: starting this autumn, when enrollees begin
    receiving notices of their premium increases for 2023 health plans, our constituents will find that
    the same high-quality coverage that they have been able to afford thanks to the American Rescue
    Plan will now be out of reach. We cannot allow the progress we have made to be temporary. We
    must make lower out-of-pocket costs and expanded coverage a permanent pillar of our health
    care system, and reconciliation is our only chance to get this done.

    Reconciliation is also a once-in-a-generation opportunity to extend coverage to millions of low-


    income people in states that have refused to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.10
    The House-passed Build Back Better Act included a provision to extend coverage to this
    population and, through reconciliation, we can finally ensure that every American has access to
    health care – no matter what zip code they live in.

    By extending enhanced advance premium tax credits and providing coverage for people in non-
    expansion states, we will deliver on the promises we made to our constituents to lower their

    6
    Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Office of Health Policy: Access to Marketplace Plans with Low
    Premiums on the Federal Platform. April 1, 2021.
    7
    Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Office of Health Policy: Access to Marketplace Plans with Low
    Premiums on the Federal Platform. April 1, 2021.
    8
    Vermont Rate Review: MVP Rate Review Open for Review. https://ratereview.vermont.gov/mvp-rate-review-open-
    for-review. Accessed May 18, 2022.
    9
    National Academy for State Health Policy: State-Based Marketplaces Say Many Will Lose Coverage if Premium
    Assistance Expires. May 18, 2022.
    10
    Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Medicaid Coverage Gap Affects Even Larger Group Over Time Than
    Estimates Indicate. September 3, 2021.
    health care costs and protect their care. We will be able to tell our grandchildren that, at long last,
    Democrats ensured universal eligibility for health coverage in the United States. We stand ready
    to join you in working to pass this critical legislation through Congress and get it signed into law
    swiftly. Thank you for your leadership on this urgent and shared priority.

    Sincerely,

    Lauren Underwood
    Member of Congress

    Cindy Axne Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.


    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Matt Cartwright Joe Courtney


    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Angie Craig Sharice L. Davids


    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Bill Foster Josh Gottheimer


    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Josh Harder Jahana Hayes


    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Steven Horsford Chrissy Houlahan


    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Marcy Kaptur Daniel T. Kildee


    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Andy Kim Susie Lee


    Member of Congress Member of Congress
    Mike Levin Tom Malinowski
    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Kathy Manning Chris Pappas


    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Kim Schrier, M.D. Abigail D. Spanberger


    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Dina Titus Jennifer Wexton


    Member of Congress Member of Congress

    Susan Wild
    Member of Congress

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