From APHA - Opposing the Repeal of the ACA
The American Public Health Association sent pertinent talking points for opposing the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, AKA, “Obamacare”. They are listed below. Please use this as a tool for informing yourself and those around you of some of the consequences of repealing the ACA.
Oppose repeal of the Affordable Care Act
- I strongly oppose any effort to repeal or weaken the Affordable Care Act.
- Any effort to repeal the ACA without ensuring a viable and immediate replacement plan is unconscionable and will put the health of the American people at an unacceptable risk.
- Any replacement plan must ensure that individuals who have gained health insurance coverage under the ACA will maintain their coverage and maintain access to the other important benefits created under this critical public health law.
- Instead of focusing on repealing the ACA, Congress should be focusing its efforts on improving the law and addressing the millions of Americans who remain without quality, affordable health insurance coverage.
- Continued implementation of the ACA is critical to addressing the biggest challenges facing our health system, including the escalating health care costs, uneven quality and deaths due to medical errors, discriminatory practices by health insurance providers and the shrinking ranks of the nation's primary care providers.
- The ACA is helping to shift our health system from one that focuses on treating the sick to one that focuses on keeping people healthy.
- The law provides critical mandatory funding through the Prevention and Public Health Fund for state and local prevention and wellness activities, including efforts to prevent lead poisoning, detect and prevent infectious disease outbreaks, reduce tobacco use and modernize vaccination systems. It is critical to maintain this funding which makes up more than 12 percent of the budget at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Repealing the ACA would result in nearly 30 million Americans, including children, losing health insurance coverage. These people would lose their insurance coverage as a result of eliminating premium subsidies, Medicaid expansion and the individual mandate.
- In addition to expanding health insurance coverage, under the ACA, 138 million people with private health coverage would lose access to preventive health care services which they currently receive without copays or deductibles such as vaccines, disease screenings, well-child visits and tobacco cessation counseling.
- Repealing the ACA would mean that more than 129 million with preexisting conditions such as heart disease, asthma or other chronic diseases could be denied access or charged more for their care.
- Quality of care has improved and fewer Americans have lost their lives or are falling ill due to hospital-acquired conditions.
Source: apha.org