APA Calls on Administration to Defend Patient Protections in ACA

APA has strongly condemned the recent decision by the Department of Justice to not defend the patient protections provided in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the caseTexas v United States.Since the ACA took effect in 2013, the uninsured rate among nonelderly adults has dropped 40 percent (from 20.5% in 2013 to 12.2% in 2016), according to theKaiser Family Foundation. The Justice Department ’s decision opens the door for insurers to deny health care coverage to the 130 million individuals with preexisting conditions and allows insurers to raise the premiums for Americans with disabilities, senior citizens, and those who have a history of using more health care.“We strongly condemn the Administration’s decision not to defend the patient protections provided in the Affordable Care Act, an established law of the land,” APA President Altha Stewart, M.D., said in astatement released Friday. “This is harmful to the health of Americans and is very short-sighted, considering the nation is in the midst of an opioid epidemic and a 30 percent rise in suicide rates. We call upon the administration to reverse this decision and defend the rights of our patients.”APA also signed on to a similarstatement released Saturday with five other medical organizations representing more than 560,000 physician and medical student members. It read, “We strongly urge the Department of Justice to reconsider its decision inTexas v United States and that we all seek policy solutions that incre...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: ACA Altha Stewart Department of Justice individual mandate pre-existing conditions Tax Cut Jobs Act Texas v United States Source Type: research