The Trump administration announced that it would change health plan options on the Affordable Care Act marketplace next year, some of which sharply raise annual out-of-pocket costs by $27,600, offer limited benefits, and could lead to 2 million people dropping their health insurance. The proposed rule emphasizes “catastrophic plans” and would dramatically raise the out-of-pocket maximum that could be paid by consumers. 

The administration is trotting out this new rule after Donald Trump and Republicans refused to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits at the end of last year, which was estimated to cause an average premium hike of 114% for over 20 million Americans. As a result, enrollment in the ACA marketplace has already dropped by more than 1 million and is expected to drop off even more significantly as Americans struggle to pay skyrocketing premiums. 

In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement: 

“Trump spiked the cost of health insurance, and now he’s forcing families to pick between going without care entirely or picking a plan that could leave them on the hook for up to $27,600 in out-of-pocket medical costs. Working families are getting screwed so that Trump’s mega donors can get a tax handout.” 

Trump’s Big Ugly Bill already made the largest cut to Medicaid in history, put 300 rural hospitals at risk of closure, and forces an estimated 10 million Americans to lose health care.

Then, Trump unveiled his “Great Healthcare Plan,” which does nothing to substantively bring down health care costs and is unlikely to meaningfully lower drug prices. His own administration has questioned whether Trump’s plan to send money directly to Americans for health care was “sustainable.” 

Most Americans say that their top concern is the cost of health care, as a majority of adults say they expect their health care costs to become less affordable in the next year, and nearly 1 in 3 adults say they are “very worried” about health care bills.