Rep. Pallone: House Democratic Health Leaders Slam Trump Administration's Approval of Georgia's 1332 Waiver Request

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release:

The waiver will allow the state to functionally eliminate the ACA Marketplace, potentially causing tens of thousands of Georgians to lose coverage

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), and Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA) released the following statement after Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma announced that the Trump Administration will grant the state of Georgia's Section 1332 waiver request to eliminate HealthCare.gov without replacing it with a State-based Marketplace (SBM):

"The Trump Administration is once again defying the law in its ideological pursuit to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA) anywhere it can. Today's decision to approve Georgia's unlawful waiver request will significantly reduce access and enrollment in comprehensive health insurance and will expose consumers to greater financial risk by encouraging the use of junk plans. Georgia now has a green light to eliminate residents' access to HealthCare.gov without meeting its legal obligation to maintain the benefits, affordability, and coverage required under the ACA.

"It is both reckless and heartless for the Trump Administration and Georgia GOP to rip quality coverage away from as many as 90,000 Georgians in the middle of a pandemic that has already resulted in more than 372,000 cases and 7,700 deaths in the state. Now more than ever, Americans need access to the consumer protections and financial assistance the ACA guarantees."

The lawmakers previously urged the Trump Administration to reject Georgia's 1332 waiver request in a September 16, 2020 letter.