Senate tax bill will deprive more Americans of affordable health care, says 15 patient/consumer groups

Washington, D.C., December 4, 2017 – Today a group of 15 non-partisan patient and consumer organizations issued the following statement on the passage of the Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

“The bill passed by the Senate takes yet another step towards undermining the stability of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) insurance markets. The repeal of the individual insurance mandate destabilizes an essential pillar of the ACA by removing incentives for young and healthy people to purchase insurance. Having young and healthy people as part of the insurance pool helps keep premiums manageable for everyone. This move is the latest in a string of actions by both Congress and the administration that puts affordable, adequate and accessible care for patients and families further out of reach.

The patient and consumer community joins members of the provider and issuer communities in raising the alarm about the consequences of the repeal of the individual mandate without a workable alternative, which include higher premiums and fewer Americans with coverage.

A letter issued by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) earlier this week estimated that repealing the mandate will result in 13 million more uninsured Americans and will increase premiums by an additional 10 percent each year. The CBO also clarified that passage of the bipartisan short-term stabilization legislation crafted by Senators Alexander and Murray would do little to mitigate the dramatic drop in coverage or increase in cost. While our groups continue to support the policies included in the Alexander-Murray bill, that proposal cannot compensate for the harm to patients and families resulting from the repeal of the individual mandate.

We are deeply disappointed by the Senate’s actions and their impact on the health and wellbeing of millions of patients across the United States. We urge the House and Senate to reconsider this approach during their conference negotiations and stand ready to work with Congress to ensure that any healthcare policies included in the tax package reflect the real and urgent needs of Americans, particularly those with costly serious and chronic health conditions.”

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American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

American Diabetes Association

American Heart Association

American Lung association

Arthritis Foundation

Consumers Union

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Epilepsy Foundation

Family Voices

Futures Without Violence

Lutheran Services in America