Statement of Michael Miller, Director of Strategic Policy at Community Catalyst, regarding the Trump Administration’s announcement today that they will make drastic cuts to funding for enrollment assistance and advertising

(BOSTON, MA) – “The Trump Administration continues to take steps to sabotage the Affordable Care Act. Today, in direct opposition to public statements by members of Congress and governors from both parties on the need to support the health care marketplaces nationwide, the administration announced a 90 percent cut in advertising to promote enrollment and a rollback of the funds provided each year to navigators, who play a critical role in helping consumers enroll in health care coverage.

“This latest move pulls the rug out from millions of health insurance consumers across our country. Over the past four years, navigators have been instrumental in reducing the number of uninsured Americans to historic lows. They provide trusted, one-on-one and in-person support to consumers shopping for health insurance, effectively working with community members and hard-to-reach populations. Paid advertising is an essential strategy for informing consumers about opportunities to enroll in coverage.

“After unsuccessful efforts to repeal the landmark health care legislation, President Trump and his administration have embarked on a path to deliberately sabotage the ACA and undermine the health insurance marketplaces. While the administration has publicly stated they want to stabilize the marketplace, their move to cut funding for these critical means of promoting and maximizing enrollment does just the opposite and creates barriers for consumers seeking to enroll in coverage. A stable marketplace is dependent upon maintaining current enrollment levels and expanding reach to help consumers—particularly young and healthy people who will help balance the risk pool—learn about and enroll into available coverage.

“This troubling announcement comes on the same day that a bipartisan coalition of eight governors called for ‘continuing Obamacare outreach efforts to maximize sign-ups.’

“The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. The Trump administration is responsible for implementing the law and should be doing everything in its power to make it easy for Americans to learn about enrollment opportunities and sign up for coverage, but instead they appear intent on making it harder for people to learn about the available options. They should reverse this misguided decision and appropriate the necessary funding to ensure more Americans can get the help they need enrolling in quality, affordable health care.”

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About Community Catalyst
Community Catalyst is a national, non-profit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1998 with the belief that affordable quality health care should be accessible to everyone. We work in partnership with national, state and local organizations, policymakers, and philanthropic foundations to ensure consumer interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and the health system are made: in communities, courtrooms, statehouses and on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit www.communitycatalyst.org. Read our blog at http://blog.communitycatalyst.org. Follow us on Twitter @healthpolicyhub.