JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Americans for Prosperity-Missouri (AFP-MO) announced another TV ad Wednesday, titled “D.C. Changed McCaskill,” criticizing her positions on health care and whether, after being in Washington for a decade-plus, she has Missourians’ best interest at heart. The $2.1 million TV and digital ad buy will run starting Aug. 30 as part of AFP’s effort to mobilize voters against Sen. McCaskill in the upcoming election.
The ad underscores how Sen. McCaskill, despite her campaign rhetoric, is culpable for the increasing costs of health care in Missouri by supporting Obamacare and, more recently, opposing the innovative and affordable short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans (STLD) made more accessible by the Trump administration. It also highlights how Sen. McCaskill’s husband has increasingly benefited from an increase in federal subsidies to his real-estate investments, a pattern recently investigated by the Kansas City Star.
“Sen. McCaskill will forever be tied with Obamacare and its higher health care and drug costs,” said AFP-MO State Director Jeremy Cady. “Not only did she help President Obama force this bad law on unwilling Missourians, she also turned a blind eye to Obamacare’s sweetheart deal for the pharmaceutical industry—the same companies she’s now railing against. But while Missouri families struggle with rising health care costs, Sen. McCaskill’s family has done just fine. In fact, her decade-plus tenure in Washington, D.C. has coincided with more taxpayer money funneled to her husband’s business—a disturbing trend.
“Her opposition to more affordable plans shows her partisan, short-sighted attitude towards improving health care in Missouri,” continued Cady. “As we continue to educate Missourians on her record, we’re confident we’ll convince enough people to vote Sen. McCaskill out of office this November.”
Click here to view “D.C. Changed McCaskill”
Background:
Sen. McCaskill voted for Obamacare in 2010.
- McCaskill Voted In Favor Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act. (H.R. 3590, Roll Call Vote #396: Passed 60-39: R 0-39; D 58-0; I 2-0, 12/24/09, McCaskill Voted Yea)
The cost of health care has increased in Missouri since implementation of Obamacare.
- According To A Study By The Department Of Health And Human Services, The Average Monthly Individual Market Premium In Missouri Increased 145% From 2013 To 2017, From $197 To $483. (“Individual Market Premium Changes: 2013 – 2017,” ASPE Data Point, 5/23/17)
In 2010, during the legislative debate surrounding Obamacare, many news outlets reported on the pharmaceutical industry’s participation in crafting the bill, even uncovering an agreement between President Obama and industry leaders well before the bill was passed into law on Dec. 24, 2009.
- “Yet everyone agrees that drug companies — Washington’s leading source of lobbyist money — now have “a seat at the table” at the White House and on Capitol Hill as health care legislation works its way through Congress.” (Los Angeles Times, “Obama gives powerful lobby a seat at healthcare table,” 8/4/09)
- “Democrats had majorities in both houses of Congress when the health law deal was cut, but the negotiators caved on their party’s longstanding proposals — seen as a mortal threat by pharma — in exchange for the industry’s buy-in and financial support for getting the historic health reform bill enacted.” (Politico, “The one that got away: Obamacare and the drug industry,” 7/13/16)
Benefits of short-term, limited duration health plans (STLD)
- “Expanding maximum duration of short-term plans expands freedom, choice for consumers,” The Hill, 8/13/18
Sen. McCaskill’s opposition to STLDs
- McCaskill Is Leading The Charge Against A Proposed Regulation To Expand The Use Of Short-Term, Limited-Duration (STLD) Insurance Plans. “U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today led a letter signed by 47 Senators calling on the Trump Administration to halt a proposed regulation that would expand the use of short-term health care plans to create junk health insurance plans that would raise premiums for older Americans and harm millions of people living with pre-existing conditions. The Senators expressed their opposition to the proposed rule to expand junk plans, CMS-9924-P, ahead of the deadline for public comment on April 23, 2018.” (Press Release, “Baldwin, Stabenow, Mccaskill Lead 47 Senators In Calling On Trump Administration To Halt Expansion Of Junk Health Insurance Plans,” Senator Tammy Baldwin, 4/23/18)
- McCaskill Characterizes STLD Plans As “Junk” Plans. “U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is pushing back on the Trump Administration’s proposal to expand previously limited short-term health insurance plans to year-long plans that are likely to increase costs and reduce access to quality coverage for many Missourians, particularly those with preexisting conditions. These ‘junk’ plans can exclude basic health benefits including hospitalization, prescription drugs, maternity care, and substance abuse treatment. ‘I’ll fight back as hard as I know how against efforts to raise Missourians’ health insurance and prescription drug costs, particularly while we’re hard at work to reduce them,’ McCaskill said. ‘Unfortunately that’s exactly what these ‘junk’ plans would do – offer coverage so deceptively slim it does nothing but skirt the protections we’ve worked to put in place for Missourians with preexisting conditions and to help ensure older Missourians don’t pay more for their care.’” (Press Release, “McCaskill Pushes Back On ‘Junk’ Health Insurance Plans That Can Exclude Preexisting Conditions, Hospitalizations, Or Prescription Drugs,” Senator Claire McCaskill, 4/23/18)