At a joint press conference Friday, Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo publicly decried looming federal cuts to health care assistance they say would be devastating to Rhode Islanders. They were joined by leaders from the state health care industry as they pledged to fight the cuts in Washington.

Michael Sroczynski, president of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, and Lindsay Lang, director of HealthSource RI, warned that the loss of federal assistance with health insurance premiums will not only mean thousands more Rhode Islanders will not be able to afford insurance but also that the state’s entire health care system will suffer as a result.

“When people lose coverage, care is delayed and conditions worsen – leaving patients sicker and hospitals facing more complex, expensive cases,” Sroczynski said.

The concern, Amo and Magaziner said, is that unless Congress takes action, federal health care tax credits that reduce health insurance premiums for those who qualify will expire at the end of the year. It is estimated, they said, that these tax credits make it possible for about 22 million Americans – including tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders – to afford their health care coverage.

HealthSource RI is the state’s insurance marketplace established under the Affordable Care Act, and it helps residents find and enroll in health and dental insurance plans that meet their needs and their budgets.

The tax credits that are scheduled to expire on Dec. 31 have been available to qualifying individuals and families based on income. Participants are required to purchase their health care through the marketplace and can either apply the tax credits as a direct subsidy to their monthly health insurance premium payments or as a lump-sum annual credit when they file their taxes.

The bottom line, according to Peter Marino, president and CEO of Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, is that the credits made health care affordable for many thousands of Rhode Islanders.

Neighborhood Health is a nonprofit organization that offers a variety of health insurance plans to Rhode Islanders. Marino noted that about 90% of its members rely on the premium tax credits to subsidize their health insurance costs.

“For those choosing Neighborhood through HealthSource RI, 89% received premium tax credits,” Marino said “Tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders will be impacted by the loss of enhanced tax credits – some devastatingly so, with increases of hundreds of dollars a month in [health insurance] premium costs.

“The federal premium tax credits support access to health insurance coverage for those who need it most – folks who have no wiggle room in their household budgets to account for increases this large,” he said.

Magaziner and Amo said that the question of whether to extend the health care tax credits will be part of the national budget debate, and that they are committed to doing all that they can despite indications that they will face strong opposition from Republican leadership.

“Congressional Republicans and Donald Trump are once again trying to undermine health care for millions of Americans, forcing working families across Rhode Island to decide between health care and meeting their other needs,” said Amo. “I’m proud to stand with Congressman Magaziner and health leaders in our state to fight for a deal that lowers costs.”

Said Magaziner, “Every Rhode Islander deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care. But right now, too many people are facing a health care affordability crisis.

“I am ready to vote for a budget that lowers costs and strengthens the state’s health care system,” he said, “and I am joining health care leaders in calling on President Trump and Republicans in Congress to do the same for the American people.”

Officials at the press conference said the issue of preserving assistance with health care costs is even more critical right now because of major federal funding cuts to Medicaid which are expected to cost millions of people their Medicaid benefits.

Lindsay Lang, director of HealthSource RI, said, “Protecting Rhode Islanders’ ability to seek the mental and physical health care services they need to lead healthy, productive lives is core to (HealthSource’s) mission and to the good of our state.

Lynn Blais, president of United Nurses & Allied Professionals, also spoke at the press conference, saying the loss of health and insurance will mean the difference between life and death for too many Rhode Islanders. “If we don’t do something to prevent the cuts to the tax credits and prevent the cuts to Medicaid, that will be the final blow for Rhode Island’s health care system,” she said.

“We will be returning to a time when thousands of Rhode Islanders didn’t have health insurance,” Blais said, adding, “Rhode Islanders will die.”

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