House ACA replacement plan would have a devastating impact on consumers – National Consumers League

March 7, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The following statement can be attributed to NCL’s Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“The House Republicans’ Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bill released last night would have a devastating impact on millions of consumers. The bill guts the ACA by repealing the cost-sharing subsidies that helped low-income people afford health insurance, ends the Medicaid expansion in 2020, and institutes Medicaid per-capita caps, which will inevitably lead to the rationing of care to our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. 

In addition, the bill would strip Planned Parenthood clinics of federal funding through Medicaid and other government programs for one year, preventing over 2.5 million people from accessing critical preventive care such as cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing, and other essential health services.

The Republican Congress’ attempt to rush the replacement bill to a vote without a CBO score or a single public hearing on the implications of the bill is indefensible. The National Consumers League joins with our colleagues in the advocacy community in demanding that the bill be subject to a transparent process – including public hearings – before such sweeping changes to the ACA and Medicaid are considered. The American people deserve to know how this proposed legislation will affect their health.” 

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.