WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Ways & Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that 2.4 million Americans have selected health insurance plans through state and federal marketplaces, a drop from this point in 2017:
“While there are still two weeks remaining in Open Enrollment, these lagging numbers show that Republicans’ sabotage of our nation’s health care system is working. The Trump Administration has starved the program intended to help families get covered by refusing to make congressionally-required investments in outreach and enrollment. And the administration’s promotion of inadequate coverage options, like short-term health plans, has led to cost increases for Americans, particularly those with preexisting conditions.
“When we invest in enrollment outreach, it pays dividends in reducing the number of uninsured, strengthening the markets, and providing people with affordable coverage that is there when they need it. All Americans should have the opportunity to make fully-informed decisions about their family’s health care and know how to access affordable plans that are available now."
