Statement attributable to:
Ana María López, MD, MPH, MACP
President, American College of Physicians
Washington, DC (March 26, 2019) — The American College of Physicians (ACP) strongly opposes the Trump administration’s call to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA). These actions will potentially jeopardize health care coverage for millions of Americans and their families. ACP firmly believes that provisions established by the ACA, including protections for patients with pre-existing conditions, are constitutional and must be upheld.
While ACP welcomes discussions to improve the health care law, overturning the law would leave many Americans uninsured and make it extremely difficult for patients, particularly those who are chronically ill and underserved, to enroll in affordable and quality coverage plans. ACP fears that if the federal appeals court agrees with the Department of Justice and declares the ACA invalid, it would undermine patients with pre-existing conditions, destabilize the insurance market, and make health care simply inaccessible for many patients. Additionally, premium subsidies to make coverage affordable would end, annual and lifetime limits on coverage would return, federal funding for Medicaid expansion would be terminated, and seniors would no longer have access to no-cost preventive services.
When the initial ruling in Texas vs. the United States was issued against the ACA, ACP opposed the decision and urged the ruling to be overturned. In an amicus curiae brief filed in the case, ACP, together with the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry strongly opposed any lawsuit that would risk key health care protections for patients put in place by the ACA.
ACP urges the court to uphold the tenets of health care and protect vulnerable patients, especially those with pre-existing conditions. We will continue to advocate for policies that will put patients first and keep essential protections in place.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 154,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.