PENNSYLVANIA – Last night, Republican-appointed judges on the Federal Appeals Court struck down key provisions of the Affordable Care Act thanks to a lawsuit backed by President Trump.
“Trump and Republicans are now one step closer to destroying our health care system,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party Spokesman Andres Anzola. “Trump and the Republican Party will spend the next year pretending to care about our health care, but they continue to pursue the complete elimination of the Affordable Care Act with no plan for a replacement, threatening coverage protections and spiking costs. Health care is on the ballot in 2020 and Pennsylvanians will not be fooled by Trump’s broken promises.”
If the lower court, which previously declared the ACA unconstitutional, succeeds in striking down the rest of the law:
-Protections for people with preexisting conditions will be gone. 5.3 million Pennsylvanians who have preexisting conditions would no longer be protected against insurers who could otherwise charge them more or deny them coverage entirely because of their medical history.
-About 21 million Americans could lose coverage, including 858,000 in Pennsylvania.
-Insurers would no longer be required to provide coverage for essential health benefits, which include things like prescription drugs, substance abuse treatment, hospitalization, and maternity care. They could also go back to the days when they were able to charge women more than men.
-Medicare beneficiaries would incur increased costs for preventive care and prescription drugs. While the ACA gradually closed the Medicare Part D “donut hole” that affected millions of seniors, overturning the law would reopen the coverage gap.
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