“How will you justify supporting this attack on Americans’ healthcare when you meet your constituents again?”
Republicans are yet again trying to force a Trumpcare bill down the American peoples’ throats that would increase health costs, gut the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people suffering from preexisting conditions, and end Medicaid as we know it.
The GOP is moving forward with this disastrous bill despite the fact that the largest patient advocacy organizations in the United States – including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the American College of Physicians – have called on Senators to stand against Cassidy-Graham-Heller-Johnson. So has the American College of Physicians, the Children’s Hospital Association, and the American Association of Retired Persons.
In response to the warnings from these various groups, American Bridge President Jessica Mackler posed the following question to every Republican senator considering this legislation:
“The top nonpartisan patent advocates in the country have warned – in the strongest terms – that this Trumpcare proposal would devastate millions of families and turn back the clock to days when insurance companies could charge people with preexisting conditions like cancer or Alzheimer’s so much that it put them on the road to bankruptcy. For every Republican Senator considering this bill – how will you justify supporting this attack on Americans’ healthcare when you meet your constituents again?”
16 Leading Patient and Provider Groups: “This bill would limit funding for the Medicaid program, roll back important essential health benefit protections, and potentially open the door to annual and lifetime caps on coverage, endangering access to critical care for millions of Americans. Our organizations urge senators to oppose this legislation.” [American Heart Association, 9/18/2017]
Organizations:
- ALS Association
- American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
- American Diabetes Association
- American Heart Association
- American Lung Association
- Arthritis Foundation
- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
- Family Voices
- JDRF
- Lutheran Services in America
- March of Dimes
- National Health Council
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society
- National Organization for Rare Diseases
- Volunteers of America
- WomenHeart
American College of Physicians: “We believe that the substantial cuts to Medicaid authorized by this legislation would cause a significant increase in the number of uninsured patients and that it would undermine essential benefits provided for patients insured under current law. We urge you to set aside this legislation and instead allow the Senate to consider any improvements to the ACA…” [American College of Physicians, 9/13/2017]
Children’s Hospital Association: “Their legislation would slash funding for Medicaid, the nation’s largest health care program for children, by one-third, reducing access and coverage for more than 30 million children in the program. Furthermore, the legislation weakens important consumer safeguards, and as a result, millions of children in working families would no longer be assured that their private insurance covers the most basic of services without annual and lifetime limits and regardless of any underlying medical condition.” [Children’s Hospital Association, 9/18/2017]
American Association of Retired Persons: “AARP stands ready to work with Congress on commonsense, bipartisan solutions to improve health care. #GrahamCassidy is not that bill.” [AARP Advocates, 9/15/2017]