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Statement on American Health Care Act Amendment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement attributable to:
Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH
President and CEO
America’s Essential Hospitals

WASHINGTON — Attempts to revive the American Health Care Act (AHCA) with changes that make a deeply damaging bill even worse are misguided and disappointing.

The amendment now being considered would threaten basic health care benefits and important consumer protections. Worse, these changes are expected to add to the already staggering total of 24 million additional uninsured people under the AHCA.

This latest version of the AHCA is not an improvement. It’s simply bad policy that will cut a lifeline of health care for millions of Americans. The legislation also would leave unchanged more than $800 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade, breaking the nation’s safety net and saddling states, local governments, and taxpayers with new costs for indigent care.

The nation has spoken on the AHCA: Only 17 percent of the public support it and their elected representatives have rejected it once already.

Instead of continuing to pursue this deeply unpopular bill, Congress should work with essential hospitals to enact positive changes that ensure those who have coverage can keep it and that protect the ability of our hospitals to serve vulnerable people and communities.

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About America’s Essential Hospitals
America’s Essential Hospitals is the leading association and champion for hospitals and health systems dedicated to high-quality care for all, including the most vulnerable. Since 1981, America’s Essential Hospitals has initiated, advanced, and preserved programs and policies that help these hospitals ensure access to care. We support members with advocacy, policy development, research, and education.

Our nearly 300 members are vital to their communities, providing primary care through trauma care, disaster response, health professional training, research, public health programs, and other services. They innovate and adapt to lead the broader health care community toward more effective and efficient care.

Contact:
Carl Graziano
cgraziano@essentialhospitals.org
202.585.0102

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