Advocating for Massachusetts residents and maintaining access to affordable coverage for everyone, the Massachusetts Health Connector on Friday submitted a comment letter to a proposed federal rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The letter focuses on proposals in the federal rule that would impact eligibility and enrollment functions for the Health Connector as well as policies in the larger insurance market. Massachusetts leads the nation in coverage rate, with more than 98 percent of residents covered according to the U.S. Census, and provisions in the rule would make it more difficult for residents to get and maintain coverage, while making coverage more expensive.
Congress Urged to Renew Expiring Enhanced Premium Tax Credits and Prevent Unnecessary Increases in Health Care Costs for New Jersey Residents
Over 450,000 Get Covered New Jersey enrollees would be impacted by loss of expanded financial help
New Jerseyans could lose more than half a billion dollars in federal support and face higher health insurance costs
TRENTON — Warning about significant health insurance premium increases for over 450,000 New Jerseyans, New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Justin Zimmerman sent a letter to New Jersey’s Congressional delegation strongly urging them to extend the expiring federal enhanced premium tax credits that have enabled hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents to enroll in quality, affordable health insurance through Get Covered New Jersey, the State’s Official Health Insurance Marketplace.
Rep. Boyle: The one thing I would point out, though, is this bill is actually significantly worse [than the GOP's ACA repeal attempt in 2017], because this piece of legislation will throw 13.5 million, almost 14 million Americans off their healthcare.
First, you're cutting people off Medicaid. But second, this does include very deep cuts to Obamacare as well. And finally, I have breaking news for you tonight, that literally just came out in the last few minutes as I've been sitting here: The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the official authority on these figures, has now confirmed that this bill, in addition to Medicaid cuts, in addition to Obamacare cuts, includes $500 BILLION WORTH OF CUTS TO MEDICARE that is now in this bill as well.
With potential Federal cuts to Medicaid on the horizon, renewing enhanced premium tax credits to ensure affordable insurance through the marketplace takes on greater significance
AUGUSTA— The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace (OHIM) today announced its support for renewing the enhanced premium tax credits for consumers of the health insurance marketplace.
The enhanced premium tax credits, which were first implemented in 2021 through the American Rescue Act and extended in the Inflation Reduction Act are set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress acts. Allowing these federal tax credits to expire will result in higher health insurance premiums for Maine consumers, potentially putting health coverage out of reach for thousands of Mainers. Overall, the enhanced tax credits are saving Mainers a conservative estimate of nearly $90 million in health care premium savings this year.
Covered California expresses deep concern regarding the proposed health provisions in the reconciliation bill moving through the House of Representatives.
If enacted, the legislation would have devastating consequences to the health, well-being and financial security of hundreds of thousands of Californians who would lose access to affordable health insurance. It would also lead to greater strain on the health care system and increased costs for individuals and businesses throughout the state.
Estimated Nearly $13.5 Billion Loss Annually For New Yorkers and Our Healthcare Economy
Nearly 1.5 Million New Yorkers Could Lose Essential Plan or Medicaid Coverage And Become Uninsured
Governor Hochul Demands Republican Members of Congress Oppose These Cuts and Protect Their Constituents
Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the harmful effects of several healthcare provisions already passed from the House Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce committees for the Republican budget reconciliation bill. These provisions collectively amount to an annual loss of nearly $13.5 billion for New Yorkers and our healthcare sector, jeopardizing healthcare access for millions of New Yorkers while imperiling the state’s hospitals and other healthcare providers.
So, the Congressional Budget Office has published updated estimates of the budgetary impact of the House Republican budget plan (officially called the "One Big Beautiful BIll Act" (seriously); more appropriately called the #MedicaidMassacre bill by certain individuals (ahem) were to pass & be implemented.
In addition to all the dollar amounts tossed around, however, the spreadsheet also includes some important footnotes, including the following (h/t Larry Levitt of KFF for the heads up):
Under the Title IV - Energy & Commerce tab is this:
With the House Republican budget bill having made it past its second significant hurdle last night (the House Budget Committee vote), it's time tot ake a cold, hard look at just what the impact of the bill will be in pure partisan terms.
The logic Congressional Republicans (or at least Donald Trump, who pretty much has complete control over the Congressional Republican hivemind) seem to be going with is that targeting the Medicaid expansion population is good politics for them because:
UPDATED 5/22/25: Welp. House Republicans did indeed follow through with passing their horrific (and disgustingly-titled) "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act which will effectively repeal the bulk of the ACA without officially repealing it, and that's just for starters.
The final vote was 215 - 214, with every Republican except a handful voting for it (and the two who voted against it openly admitted to the NY Times that they would have voted for it if their votes had been needed), and every Democrat voting against it. There were 2 Republican "no" votes...but both of those were only because they wanted the final bill to be even more draconian.
I joined Susan J. Demas of Lincoln Square to discuss the House GOP budget bill (aka the #MAGAMassacreBill) and the Trump Regime's all-out assault on the U.S. healthcare system.
