Van Hollen, Cardin: Trump’s Efforts to Dismantle Health Care System Costing Maryland Families

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today issued the following on newly released initial premium rate requests filed by health insurance carriers in the individual marketplace for 2019 in Maryland. After failing to repeal the Affordable Care Act in the face of broad bipartisan support for the law, President Trump and Republicans in Congress have worked to sabotage our health care system at every turn. For those in the individual marketplace, the direct results are higher costs for working families and less health security for people in Maryland and across the country.

“The cost of health care is a major concern for working families in Maryland and across the country. And these requests for astronomical rate increases are a direct result of the actions taken by President Trump and Congressional Republicans,” said Senator Van Hollen. “The GOP did not want to advertise that their tax giveaway to the very wealthy and big corporations contained a poison pill that would mean higher health insurance prices for average Americans – but they can’t hide from the truth. Maryland families deserve better, and we will keep working to stabilize our insurance markets and ensure people have access to quality, affordable health care.”

“The rates proposed by insurers for Maryland’s individual marketplace reflect how badly President Trump has sabotaged the individual marketplace for health insurance,” said Senator Cardin. “The State of Maryland is taking steps to make sure that as many Marylanders are protected from such outrageous rate increases as possible. Congress has a responsibility to help stabilize the individual marketplace by creating a federal reinsurance program.”

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