The Affordable Care Act Is Working! Turning Back the Clock Would Hurt Millions of Americans
The House of Representatives is going to vote on H.R. 2 and H. Res. 9, which would repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively referred to as “the Affordable Care Act”). These two laws are already providing critically important benefits and protections for individuals and families across the country. Turning back the clock by repealing these vitally important laws would harm millions of Americans, and would once again allow insurance companies to put profits first.
Repeal would allow unfair and discriminatory insurance practices to continue. Repeal would eliminate important measures that hold insurance companies accountable. Repeal would once again impose lifetime or annual dollar limits on covered services, or rescind insurance coverage when an individual gets sick. Repeal would allow insurers to deny women coverage if they’ve had a Cesarean section, breast or cervical cancer, or received medical treatment for domestic or sexual violence.
Repeal would allow insurance companies to continue to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions. Members of Congress are guaranteed access to health coverage even if they or family members have a pre-existing condition. The Affordable Care Act provides this protection for America's families. The ACA is already working to provide children with pre-existing conditions the coverage they need to grow up healthy. The repeal bill would take this right away from America's families--as many as 129 million Americans under age 65--while members of Congress keep it for themselves.
Repeal would make obtaining insurance more difficult and more expensive. The new law would give individuals and families the ability to find more affordable insurance options through the new exchanges to be established in 2014. Repeal would eliminate those opportunities for an estimated 54 million Americans, including the 15.9 million who are expected to enroll in Medicaid by 2019, and the families who would be eligible for tax credit subsidies to help with the cost of premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Members of Congress receive subsidies of almost three-quarters of their health insurance premiums--all paid by taxpayers.
Repeal will make finding comprehensive health insurance more difficult. Too many Americans struggle to find health insurance that covers important health care services they need, like maternity and mental health care as well as prescription drugs. Repeal of the Affordable Care Act will eliminate the requirement that all plans sold to individuals and small employers cover these critically essential health benefits. Under repeal, adults would also lose free access to recommended preventive screenings.
Repeal will eliminate critical tax credits for small employers, making it harder for them to provide insurance coverage for their employees. The Affordable Care Act provides critical tax credits to small employers that help them provide health insurance to their employees. And, the ACA will offer small employers new options to find affordable coverage when the exchanges are operational in 2014.
Repeal will eliminate many additional provisions providing important benefits to families, including extending dependent coverage to children up to age 26 and prohibiting insurers from requiring pre-authorization for emergency room care or for women to get a referral to see their ob/gyn.
The Affordable Care Act is working! The law preserves what works while giving Americans the freedom to change jobs and the security of knowing they won't lose their homes because someone in the family got sick. Repeal will turn back the clock on important progress and cause real harm to real families struggling everyday to ensure comprehensive affordable health care coverage. Repeal would destroy 250,000 to 400,000 jobs annually over the next decade by reducing the share of workers who start new businesses, move to new jobs, or otherwise invest in themselves and the economy. And the Congressional Budget Office’s preliminary analysis of the effects of the bill estimated that repeal would increase the deficit by $230 billion from 2012 to 2021.
Call your congressperson today to urge them to vote against repeal! Call toll free: 1-866-922-4970
