Durbin, Colleagues To Azar: Trump Administration’s Health Care Sabotage Undermines Coronavirus Response

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in leading 36 other Democratic Senators in calling on Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar to take immediate action to reverse the Trump Administration’s health care sabotage, which has undermined our preparedness for and ability to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. Specifically, the Senators asked Secretary Azar to commit to making any potential coronavirus vaccine affordable to all, stop promoting junk plans that don’t cover the care necessary to prevent the spread of the virus, and stop promoting efforts to undermine Medicaid that jeopardize people’s health care.

No patient should be discouraged from accessing necessary medical care because of the risk of large bills or a lack of health coverage—especially the midst of a public health threat. But, as the Democratic Senators outlined in their letter to Azar, the Trump Administration has advanced a laundry list of policies that have made it harder for patients to get care, and thus weakened our ability to respond effectively to the coronavirus outbreak.

“When a patient who has potentially been exposed to the virus develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19, they should be able to seek appropriate medical care without being deterred by the risk of large bills. Patients often forego recommended tests and treatments because of cost,” wrote the Senators. “For this reason, we are deeply concerned both by your refusal to commit that a potential vaccine for coronavirus will be affordable to anyone who needs it,and this Administration’s numerous policies that make it harder for patients to get care during an outbreak.”

The Senators urged HHS to prioritize our nation’s public health and:

• Commit to ensuring any future coronavirus vaccine is affordable for all. The Trump Administration has thus far refused to put in place price guardrails that would ensure everyone could access a potentially critical vaccine.

• Rescind the junk plan rule. The Trump Administration has expanded and promoted junk plans that discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions and don’t cover essential health benefits like hospital care, emergency care, laboratory services, or preventive services. These plans have already left a patient with an exorbitant bill for necessary care to help combat the spread of coronavirus. Junk plans could even stick patients with the bill for a potential coronavirus vaccine.

• Withdraw the 1332 waiver guidance. The administration released guidance encouraging states to apply for waivers that allow for the sale of coverage that doesn’t meet consumer protections for comprehensiveness and affordability. Reducing the comprehensiveness of coverage could leave patients paying bills for necessary care, like tests or vaccines.

• Stop working to undermine Medicaid by promoting barriers like work requirements. Medicaid is crucial to our ability to respond to public health crises, but the Trump Administration’s attacks–like promoting harmful work requirements–have already led to patients being kicked off the program and losing access to health care.

The Senators also urged the Administration to stop undermining the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with a partisan lawsuit.If the lawsuit is successful, millions of families could lose access to health care or be covered only by a junk plan, and any patient who contracts the coronavirus could face future discrimination from insurers for having a pre-existing condition.

In addition to Durbin, Murray, and Wyden, the letter was signed by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Gary Peters (D-MI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Tom Carper (D-DE).

The full text of the letter is below and here:

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