New challenges to affordable health care continue in 2022
DENVER — Five years after the Graham-Cassidy Amendment put the future of the Affordable Care Act in jeopardy, new threats to affordable health care have arisen across the country. As the midterm election approaches, protecting health care is now a top priority for health care advocates everywhere.
Voices of Health Care Founder and Affordable Care Act Advocate Laura Packard issued the following statement:
“The Affordable Care Act provides insurance for 35 million people. Five years ago today, Republicans in the Senate submitted the Graham-Cassidy amendment in an effort to strip away health coverage from these millions of people. If passed, the Graham-Cassidy legislation would have repealed the ACA, given the states control over Medicaid, and capped Medicaid’s funding. Fortunately, the amendment was met with significant opposition, and was not passed by the Senate.”
“However, in the five years since Graham-Cassidy was first submitted, the ACA has faced a slew of new challenges. Just last week, a federal judge in Texas ruled that religious employers are not obligated to cover care that would prevent the spread of HIV. Additionally, 12 states have still not adopted expanded Medicaid coverage. These 12 states, all with GOP-led legislatures, have chosen to deny health coverage to Americans living below 138% of the poverty line, roughly $19,000 per year for one person in 2022.
“The Affordable Care Act saved my life, and continues to provide essential medical care to millions of others. Attacks on it from conservatives in Congress and in the states will not stop. This midterm, millions of people’s coverage will depend upon our ability to elect health care champions. As November approaches, the time is now to protect affordable health care. Countless lives depend on it.”
Laura Packard is a small business owner and health care advocate, and founder of Voices of Health Care, organizing adults with serious medical conditions. She is a stage 4 cancer survivor, and the Affordable Care Act saved her life. If you’re interested in connecting with Laura to discuss GOP attacks on the Affordable Care Act, ongoing attacks on abortion and reproductive health care, improvements to health care through the Inflation Reduction Act, or the state of America’s health care system more generally, please reach out to ben.cook@firesidecampaigns.com.
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