Congressman Jeff Denham Jeopardizes Health Care of More Than 100,000 Constituents

Congressman Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) will be closely watched by his Stanislaus and San Joaquin county constituents (Modesto, Turlock, Tracy, Manteca) when the “Trumpcare” medical care scheme is placed before the House for a vote on Thursday, March 23^rd.  The Affordable Care Act, which was enacted seven years ago and has withstood numerous court challenges, could be decimated by Congressman Denham's vote.  Health care for a sizable percentage of Congressman Denham’s constituents would be jeopardized.

More than 100,000 residents of Congressman Denham’s district were enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans in 2016.   This includes more than 26,000 enrolled in Covered California plans (the state's Affordable Care Act health care exchange) and more than 79,000 enrolled in Medi-Cal expansion plans.  Nearly one out of every seven residents of Congressman Denham's district is enrolled in an Affordable Care Act plan.  An unknown additional number owe their health insurance to the Affordable Care Act's employer contribution requirements.  Many health care personnel at Modesto's Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, among other local hospitals and clinics, would lose their jobs if Congressman Denham approves dismantling of the Affordable Care Act.

All of Stanislaus County is contained within Congressman Denham’s district.  In 2016, more than 82,000 Stanislaus County residents were enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans, including 18,100 in Covered California and 64,410 in Medi-Cal expansion.  Of the 18,100 enrolled in Covered California plans, 16,950 received subsidies.   The vast majority of Stanislaus County Covered California enrollees were in Anthem Blue Cross of California plans (10,680), followed by 5,730 in Kaiser Permanente plans and 1,610 in Blue Shield of California plans.

Modesto would be especially hard-hit if the Affordable Care Act were repealed as nearly 45,000 residents receive their health care through the A.C.A.  Nearly 8,200 residents of Modesto ZIP codes (95350-51, 95354-58) are enrolled in Covered California plans and another 36,400 are enrolled in Medi-Cal expansion plans.

Turlock, along with hosting California State University Stanislaus, is Congressman Denham’s adopted hometown.   More than 12,000 Turlock residents (ZIP codes 95380-82) receive their health care through the Affordable Care Act, including 3,120 through Covered California and 8,959 through the Medi-Cal expansion.

Tracy in San Joaquin County (ZIP codes 95304, 95376-78, 95391) has more than 11,000 enrollees in Affordable Care Act plans, including 4,260 in Covered California and 7,117 in Medi-Cal expansion plans.  More than 9,000 Manteca residents (ZIP codes 95336-37) are enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans, including 2,970 in Covered California and 6,365 in the Medi-Cal expansion.

Health care is an essential human need; it has no partisan bounds.  Republicans and Democrats need access to affordable, quality health care. Ripon in San Joaquin County is among the most politically conservative cities in California.  Nearly 1,400 Ripon residents receive their health care through the Affordable Care Act, including 620 through Covered California plans and 755 through Medi-Cal expansion plans.  Escalon also favored Donald Trump for President in 2016.  Nearly 1,300 Escalon residents are enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans, including 460 in Covered California plans and 833 in Medi-Cal expansion plans.

Behind each of the 100,000 residents of Congressman Denham’s district who are enrolled in Affordable Care Act health care plans is an individual with personal medical needs.  Some cope with serious medical conditions that could not be insured at a reasonable price if the Affordable Care Act were to be abolished.  Others live under precarious economic circumstances wherein a family medical emergency would otherwise cause bankruptcy, had the Affordable Care Act not existed. 

These 100,000 voices and their family members, neighbors and co-workers need to inform Congressman Denham that their medical “safety net” cannot be dismantled.  The axe would fall mercilessly, forcing cancer patients, stroke and heart attack victims and other patients to navigate a devastated medical bureaucracies.  The protections of an important civil rights law (section 1557) would be destroyed.  Congressman Denham, at the instigation of President Trump, is gambling with a trillion dollar sector of the American economy (more than one-sixth of U.S. Gross Domestic Product) with haste and without carefully considering the full ramifications, especially the 100,000 constituents who could lose their health care coverage.

Contact Congressman Denham and tell him to preserve the Affordable Care Act, both through his comment form and through Congressman Denham’s health care survey.

Phone Congressman Denham’s offices at (202) 225-4540 (Washington, D.C.) and (209) 579-5458 (Modesto) and ask him to keep the Affordable Care Act.

For Affordable Care Act Medi-Cal expansion statistics as of October 2016, click here.

For Covered California enrollment statistics as of June 2016, click here.