National Consumers League statement on House Passage of the American Health Care Act – National Consumers League

May 4, 2017

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

Washington, DC—The following statement can be attributed to National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

By voting today to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the U.S. House of Representatives has shown callous disregard for the health of our nation’s consumers. This bill will result in millions of consumers losing health coverage and paying more for less, and should be rejected by the Senate.

Specifically, among its provisions, the bill would:

  • Cause 24 million Americans to lose their health coverage by 2020;
  • Strip protections for consumers with pre-existing conditions, allowing insurers to charge those with pre-existing conditions higher – and likely unaffordable – premiums;
  • Allow states to eliminate guaranteed coverage of essential health benefits like maternity care, prescription drugs, and mental health services;
  • Defund Planned Parenthood, on which millions rely for access to family planning and critical preventive services such as cancer screenings; and
  • End Medicaid as we know it, harming our nation’s most vulnerable consumers.

The National Consumers League joins with our colleagues in the consumer and public health communities in urging the Senate to reject this harmful bill and instead work to strengthen the Affordable Care Act.

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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.