Murray Statement on Trump Administration’s Decision to Gut Investments in Helping Inform People of Coverage Options

Trump Administration slashes funding even further for Affordable Care Act navigators; doubling down on cuts announced last fall

Murray: President Trump has chosen a Supreme Court nominee who has already made clear he’ll stand with President Trump, not families, when it comes to health care in our country

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement on news that the Trump Administration will further slash investments in helping families seeking health care coverage understand their options and navigate the health care system.

“There shouldn’t be anything controversial about helping people get the information they need to ensure they have affordable, comprehensive coverage, but the Trump Administration’s health care sabotage clearly has no limits. This announcement shows yet again that the Trump Administration can’t be trusted with families’ health care for a minute, which is why it is so frightening that President Trump has chosen a Supreme Court nominee who has already made clear he’ll stand with President Trump, not families, when it comes to health care in our country.”  

This cut, from $37 million to $10 million follows a similar cut from $63 million last year. It also comes in the wake of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) removing the requirement that each state have at least two Navigators and eliminating the requirement that Navigators maintain a physical presence in the area they serve. The announcement went further, saying CMS wants Navigators to demonstrate that they will also tell consumers about “junk” short-term and association health plans. The bipartisan Murray-Alexander market stabilization bill would have reserved $106 million for the 2019 plan year for advertisements and outreach activities like navigators.    

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