What do you want to hear first—the good news or the bad news?

We’ll start with the bad news: Our health care just took a major hit. No administration has ever slashed health care as deeply as the budget bill Republicans passed this month and President Trump signed into law—and it’s all to give tax breaks to billionaires and commit human rights abuses against immigrants. This is unacceptable, and Republican leaders in Congress need to change course now!

But now for the good news and what you can do to protect our families’ health care! Yesterday, Senate Democrats introduced the Protecting Health Care And Lowering Costs Act, a bill that would reverse all of the health care cuts in the Big, Ugly Betrayal budget and permanently extend the ACA premium tax credits—making health care coverage cheaper and more widely available. Our health, our lives, our communities, our economy, and our futures are at stake in this fight—and we intend to win!

Let Democrats in Congress know that we support this critical fix and Republicans in Congress know that they need to cancel their cuts to health care now by passing the Protecting Health Care And Lowering Costs Act. 

Republican members of Congress already know that the Republican Budget is hugely unpopular and are worried about the reaction from constituents. It’s time to double down to let them know their constituents and families across the nation are upset and mobilized, and these cuts to our health care can not stand. Please take a few seconds to sign on to our letter to Congress!

Here’s what Trump and Republicans just signed into law—and what must be reversed ↓

1. The largest cuts to health care programs in history:

$1 trillion was cut from health care programs in total—$860 billion from Medicaid and $300 billion from the Affordable Care Act. The law also defunds Planned Parenthood. These federal cuts will make it harder for states to fund their Medicaid programs, forcing states to either cut care and disenroll people from health care programs altogether OR gut other state-run programs like schools, infrastructure, and public safety to fill the gap.

2. Increased barriers to accessing care:

Not only does the Big Betrayal Bill slash health care funding, but it also makes it far more difficult for people to access health care when it’s available.

• Creates extra paperwork and red tape—like a re-enrollment requirement every 6 months—so it is harder to access Medicaid. Essentially, people will lose their health care coverage just because they struggle with confusing paperwork.
• Takes away health coverage when someone loses a job or needs time away from the workforce to care for family members. These job loss penalties will take away health insurance from about 5.2 million people, including working adults.
• Raises marketplace insurance premiums and pushes new out-of-pocket costs onto people with Medicaid coverage.
• Losing Medicaid coverage due to paperwork problems also disqualifies you for tax credits to buy your own coverage on the ACA Marketplace.

This rollback in funding cuts deep. This is the largest assault on health care we’ve ever seen. We must pressure Congress to reverse course! Tell Congress to pass the Protecting Health Care And Lowering Costs Act to cancel the cuts and defend health care programs that keep our families and communities strong.

If we don’t reverse course, the impacts of the Republican budget’s health care cuts will be felt far and wide, across communities, and in every state. ⬇️

→ More than 17 million people are projected to lose their health care coverage. 

→ These health care cuts will lead to 51,000 preventable deaths annually.

→ More than 300 hospitals in rural areas face immediate risk of closure.

→ Moms will face additional health risks as Medicaid helps pay for nearly half of births in the U.S., including lifesaving prenatal and postpartum care.

→ Children will face reduced access to health care, even at school, as 1 in 4 children use Medicaid for their health insurance.

→ Immigrants with legal status will lose access to Medicaid, Medicare, and more.

→ Consumers will accrue higher costs as health insurance from the ACA Marketplace will cost more and cover less.

→ Many people who work in the care workforce will lose their jobs due to cuts in funding.

The stakes are high, and the damage will be real. But we’re meeting this disaster head-on. Instead of standing by, we’re continuing to rise for our families, our economy, and our children's futures. We must put pressure on Congress to pass this urgent fix to save our health care!

Quick signature: Tell Congress to pass the Protecting Health Care And Lowering Costs Act to protect the critical health care programs that are lifelines for our families and communities.

When you click, you’ll be able to sign on to our petition that reads:

Dear Member of Congress,

Moms, parents, and caregivers, are bracing for the impacts that the Republican budget bill will have on our communities. As a result of the bill’s passage and enactment into law:

• More than 17 million people are projected to lose their health care coverage;
• More than 51,000 preventable deaths will occur annually;
• More than 300 hospitals in rural areas face immediate risk of closure;
• Moms will be face additional risks as Medicaid helps pay for nearly half of births in the U.S., including lifesaving prenatal and postpartum care;
• Children will have reduced access to health care, even at school, as 1 in 4 children use Medicaid for their health insurance;
• Immigrants with legal status will lose access to health care through Medicaid and Medicare;
• Consumers will accrue increased costs as health insurance from the ACA Marketplace will cost more and cover less;
• Many people who work in the care workforce will lose their jobs due to cuts in funding.

We must reverse course to save the health care programs that are lifelines for our families, communities, and economy. Congress must pass the Protecting Health Care And Lowering Costs Act in order to cancel these cuts and instead expand health care so families can access the care we need to build good lives, healthy communities, and a strong economy.

We need to spread the word about what’s going on! The more people who speak out, the bigger our impact. Please take a moment to share our action link with your friends and family. And don’t forget to sign on!