White House, congressional Republicans refuse to address the health care crisis they’ve created
Hickenlooper, Coloradans urged the President, congressional Republicans to negotiate with Democrats to reopen the government and protect health care for Americans
In case you missed it, earlier today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper hosted avirtual conversation and press conference with five Coloradans to highlight how the Republicans’ budget bill, which cuts more than $1 trillion from the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, will jeopardize Coloradans’ health care coverage and lead to skyrocketing costs. Senator Hickenlooper was joined by constituents from across the state who shared their own stories about how they – and their families – will be hurt by Republicans’ deep cuts to Medicaid and refusal to work with Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits.
“If the Republicans allow the ACA premium tax credits to expire, those increases will be dramatic, and the suffering will be real… We want to reopen the government, but at the same time, we want to make sure that we keep costs as low as possible for working people. I think that needs to be the constant North Star,” said Hickenlooper during the roundtable.
The Coloradans who joined Hickenlooper detailed how Republicans’ disastrous health care crisis would hugely impact their lives.
Mercedes von Pichl, a small business owner from Commerce City, Colorado who has a pre-existing condition, spoke about how she and her husband both depend on the ACA tax credits to make their health care affordable. They have a seven-year-old daughter and a newborn baby with a rare condition who will need specialized care for years to come. They’ve already received a notice from their insurer that their premiums will increase if Republicans don’t extend the ACA tax credits.
“To me, this is not a partisan issue. It is a human issue. Every citizen of this country deserves to have affordable health care. It should not be a privilege or a luxury. It should be a guarantee. The premium increase will lead to our family having to make hard decisions. Would we still be able to afford our mortgage, groceries, save for retirement for our children’s futures? These are decisions that not any person or family should have to make in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and I hope that Congress makes the correct decision to continue the subsidies for the American people.”
Diane Schwindt is a resident of Wellington, Colorado who was a state employee for 30 years. She is on a marketplace plan and said her premiums are going to rise over $1,000 a month unless Republicans extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits. Diane was recently in a car accident and relied on her ACA plan to cover the cost of her hospital stay and rehabilitation. She said if her premiums increase any more, she will be forced to give up her health insurance.
“I’m just rolling the dice and just keeping my fingers crossed, because if an auto accident occurred again without [marketplace] insurance, I’d be homeless, period. I’d be homeless,” Diane said. “This is not politics; this is life or death. Period. And I don’t want to become homeless because I get in a car accident. These are things that are out of your control. And it’s like we’re being punished.”
CJ Miller, who is from Conifer, Colorado, spoke about how rural Colorado will bear the brunt of this health care crisis. CJ and his entire family get their health care from the Connect for Health Colorado exchange and could face premium increases up to 196%. He said that an increase that large would be catastrophic for his family, pushing their monthly health insurance payment to exceed their mortgage.
“My family is facing, most likely, a 196% – that’s basically doubling – overall increase in our bill next year, which makes it much more than my mortgage,” CJ said. “We’re not going to be able to afford that. To put it simply, this prices health care out of range for my family and many others.”
Jeannie Gallacci is a single mother from Aurora, Colorado. Her son has Down Syndrome and Medicaid helps Jeannie make sure he gets the care he needs without falling into financial ruin.
“Medicaid is already a very convoluted system to use already, and it’s extensive to qualify. It’s extensive to recertify every year, and every year there seems to be some kind of complication,” said Jeannie. “Even as you’re trying to go through all the hoops to do it, there’s something that always comes back, that we missed something. So, I do have concerns.”
Nicole Villas – from Black Hawk, Colorado – spoke about how Republicans’ reckless cuts to Medicaid threaten her son’s health care. She is the primary caretaker for her son who has a severe seizure disability and relies on Medicaid. Her son’s care could cost more than $70,000 a year without Medicaid’s support. Republicans’ $1 trillion cuts to Medicaid forced Colorado to cut the compensation rate for fulltime family caregivers, like Nicole, who cannot work while taking care of her son.
“Facing a 10% cut is financially hard for not only our family, but for the other families who are caring for disabled adults who are already barely scraping by at less than minimum wage. A 10% cut is unfathomable to most people when you talk about your income,” Nicole said. “This fight is important because it’s not just about my son, it’s about everyone’s loved ones across the country. Because if you’re not already in our boat – taking care of and trying to pay for a chronically disabled loved one, just trying to keep them alive – then you are just one accident or one illness away from having to care for or pay for that family member. And it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.
Full recording of the virtual roundtable is available HERE.
This virtual roundtable follows the virtual press conference Hickenlooper hosted with U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen last week. They called out Trump’s government shutdown and highlighted the Republicans’ failure to pass a government funding bill that keeps the government open while actually protecting Coloradans’ health care and lowering costs for families.
Last week, Hickenlooper also gave a speech on the Senate floor, condemning the health crisis Republicans caused when they passed their budget bill. He called on Republicans to end their government shutdown and negotiate a funding bill that lowers costs, extends the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits, and restores Medicaid funding.
Hickenlooper and the entire Colorado Democratic congressional delegation voted against the Republicans’ continuing resolution that did nothing to lower costs. Last week, Republicans blocked Senate Democrats’ own continuing resolution that would have extended the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits and restored the Medicaid funding that Republicans gutted.
15 million Americans, and 241,000 Coloradans, could lose their health care under Trump’s budget bill. In 2026, health insurance premiums in Colorado will increase 28% unless Congress votes to extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. Hickenlooper voted against Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” in July.
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