Statement by Joe Baker, President of the Medicare Rights Center,
on the American Health Care Act

New York, NY—It appears the American Health Care Act (AHCA) is back, and recent revisions only manage to make this harmful bill even worse.

The AHCA was written in the dark of night and rushed to the floor for a dramatic vote. Only at the last minute did Congress heed the voices of the American people who rejected any move to yank coverage out from under 24 million Americans, impose an unaffordable “age tax” on older Americans, end Medicaid as we know it, and undermine the Medicare guarantee.

Again, without any public deliberation, the AHCA has reemerged—now with provisions that would eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions and allow insurance companies to charge even more, without any guarantee of coverage for essential care, such as chemotherapy or prescription drugs.

We again urge members of Congress and the President to reject all versions of the AHCA and to embrace a fresh start. It’s past time to seek consensus on health reforms that protect and strengthen affordable access to care for American families and to honor President Trump’s campaign promise not to cut Medicare and Medicaid.

Press Contact: Mitchell Clark – mclark@medicarerights.org

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