Trump Is Ripping Away Lifesaving Health Care from Millions of Black Americans Arrow

At his State of the Union address this week, Trump spent only five of his 107-minute speech talking about health care while millions of Black Americans deal with the life-or-death consequences of his cruel agenda. Trump and Republicans have created a dire health care crisis in America through their Big Ugly Bill, their refusal to extend ACA tax credits, and changes the administration has announced to ACA health plans that could cause out-of-pocket costs to skyrocket for Black Americans. Black communities will be hit especially hard and stand to lose the most from Trump's health care crisis, in addition to the abysmal economic conditions and rising costs that are already forcing families to choose between medical costs and groceries.

In response, DNC Associate Chair Rep. Joyce Beatty released the following statement:

"Five minutes: that's all the time Trump had to spare to talk about the health care crisis he created during his 107-minute State of the Union address after forcing millions of Black Americans to choose between their wallets and their health. Our communities are already being squeezed by Trump's rising costs, reckless trade wars, and worsening job market, and now he's causing millions of Americans to lose their health care and creating a growing crisis. This November, voters are making the choice at the ballot box between life and death, and we will organize, invest, and fight like hell to elect Democrats who will ensure our access to lifesaving care."

The Big Ugly Bill's sweeping Medicaid cuts will be especially devastating for Black families, while Trump and Republicans' refusal to extend ACA tax credits will hit particularly hard for hardworking Black Americans and their local communities.

• Almost a quarter of Medicaid enrollees are Black families and are at the greatest risk of losing coverage.
• Black people will likely become uninsured at the highest rate in the country due to expiring ACA tax credits.
• Black families could pay $740 million more in annual premium costs without ACA premium tax credits.
• With skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs, cities with large Black communities could lose $1.9 billion each year while families are forced to make difficult choices between health care and other household essentials.
• Black Americans in rural communities are already more than two to three times more likely to die from diabetes and high blood pressure than white rural residents, and ripping away their access to health care could be a death sentence.