By Jordan Rasmussen, former staff member
The latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Graham-Cassidy Health Care Repeal Plan, is a prescription for harm to rural America. The legislation is anticipated to be brought before the Senate early next week, and if passed will be quickly picked up by the House.
Here is what the Graham-Cassidy bill would do:
- Completely eliminate the ACA’s marketplace subsidies, which currently help 10 million people afford health care coverage. They would no longer be guaranteed any assistance to buy plans.
- Gut Medicaid through deep, permanent cuts that would grow over time and threaten care for millions of low-income seniors, children, and people living with disabilities, and shift massive costs and risks to states through a system of per capita caps and block grants.
- Allow states to waive the pre-existing conditions and essential health benefits requirement. That means a previous cancer diagnosis or treatment for diabetes could leave you ineligible for coverage, even under your insurance through work.
- End the expansion of Medicaid, which has extended coverage to close to 12 million low-income adults. The plan offers no guarantee of alternative affordable coverage for these beneficiaries.
This bill would mean fewer people covered, weaker protections, and higher costs for consumers. It's time to tell our representatives that this bill is not what constituents want. Here are some starting points for a conversation with your senator:
- Tell your senator how your access to coverage has made a difference in your life and the life of your family.
- Encourage senators to ensure that low and middle income Americans will be able to secure affordable and adequate coverage.
- Ask senators to ensure that protections are in place for consumers with pre-existing health conditions.
- Share the need to fix the challenges of the ACA instead of decimating the health care coverage that protects millions of Americans.
As has been demonstrated by the previous failed attempts to repeal the ACA since January – your voice and your calls MATTER! Please call your senator and congressperson today!
