FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement attributable to:
Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH
President and CEO
America’s Essential Hospitals
WASHINGTON—Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a decisive victory for patients, hospitals, and all who believe no one, especially people of limited financial means, should go without access to affordable health care.
Through the ACA, our nation took a historic step toward realizing a world without barriers to a need as fundamental to living as shelter, food, and education. This ruling preserves important progress in our work to make that vision a reality.
With this decision, we urge Congress and the administration to act to close gaps in coverage, promote health equity, and invest in hospitals that care for people who face social and financial hardships. We must put underrepresented populations and underserved communities highest on the list of priorities for next steps in the journey to equitable and accessible care for all.
We also must end the terrible reality for too many people that ZIP code determines health. Our hospitals share a mission of ending health disparities and the harmful effects of social determinants. But these factors often lay outside a hospital’s control. We must recognize this and find solutions that ensure comprehensive care for complex patients and overcome social and economic obstacles to good health. We are excited to be a part of that work.
COVID-19 has shown the critical need to go beyond a safety net and build a durable health care infrastructure that provides access, care, and solutions to every person and every community. Essential hospitals are central to that infrastructure, and their facility and personnel needs must be part of the infrastructure discussion. America needs essential hospitals not only in times of crisis but every day, to expand health care access and to build and maintain a healthy country for all.
Now more than ever, essential hospitals are critical for the physical, social, and economic health of our nation. North, south, east, west, urban, suburban, and rural—the health of people and communities across the nation is only as strong as the support for our work to increase access to affordable care and reduce disparities in underserved communities. Because we care for all people, we care for the nation. When the nation supports our work, America works.
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About America’s Essential Hospitals
America’s Essential Hospitals is the leading champion for hospitals and health systems dedicated to high-quality care for all, including the most vulnerable. We support our more than 300 members with advocacy, policy development, research, and education. Communities depend on essential hospitals to provide specialized, lifesaving services; train the health care workforce; advance public health and health equity; and coordinate care. Essential hospitals innovate and adapt to lead the way to more effective and efficient care. Learn more at essentialhospitals.org.
Contact:
Carl Graziano
cgraziano@essentialhospitals.org
202.585.0102
