RELEASE: Repealing the ACA in the Middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic Would Sow Chaos Across America
Washington, D.C. — In just six weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Trump administration’s lawsuit to terminate the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which could eliminate coverage for more than 20 million Americans and end protections for preexisting conditions. The law’s fate is even more uncertain in light of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing and Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the nation’s high court. A new column from the Center for American Progress reveals the sweeping impact that repealing the law in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic could have and how it would sow chaos across America.
Specifically, the column addresses how repealing specific provisions of the law—including the ACA’s protections for preexisting conditions, dependent coverage, Medicaid expansion, premium tax credits, and prescription drug benefits, among others—could exacerbate current threats to individual and public health; stifle the economy; and increase racial and gender inequality. The piece also includes a 50-state analysis on the number of individuals who have been infected with COVID-19 and could be denied or charged more for coverage if the court strikes down the law.
“Ripping away health coverage and protections from the American people in the middle of the pandemic is not just cruel and unpopular, it’s a recipe for chaos that threatens public safety and our economy. In the absence of health insurance, millions of Americans may risk their own lives, forego treatment, and unwittingly spread COVID-19—putting essential workers at even greater risk and prolonging the economic pain crippling America. Instead of focusing on taking away health care, the administration should be working with Congress to provide meaningful economic stimulus to help Americans weather the pandemic,” said Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress.
Please click here to read: “The Chaos of Repealing the Affordable Care Act During the Coronavirus Pandemic” by Nicole Rapfogel, Maura Calsyn, and Colin Seeberger
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at gro.ssergorpnacirema@regrebeesc.
