The American Academy of Family Physicians and five peer medical organizations oppose an administration plan to argue against the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in an ongoing lawsuit.
On March 27, the AAFP joined the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association, and the American Psychiatric Association in issuing a joint statement about the Trump administration’s announcement that they will no longer defend any part of the ACA in the federal case Texas v United States. The joint statement reads as follows:
“Our organizations, which represent a combined membership of more than 560,000 physician and medical student members, are alarmed by the administration’s announcement that they will no longer defend any part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the federal case Texas v United States. This decision places the health care of millions of Americans, including those with pre-existing health care conditions, in jeopardy.
As physicians who provide a majority of care to individuals for physical and mental conditions, we know these insurance reforms and protections are essential to ensuring access to affordable health coverage for more than 130 million Americans, including the more than 31 million individuals between the ages of 55 and 641 who have at least one pre-existing condition.
Throughout the 2018 election, the President and Members of Congress from both parties emphasized their commitment to protecting individuals with pre-existing health conditions. This announcement by the administration explicitly contradicts that promise. Elimination of these protections would result in millions facing limited access to health care coverage and higher cost as a result of insurers being allowed to return to discriminatory coverage and pricing practices.
The DOJ’s new position, if accepted by the courts, would endanger not only essential protections for persons with preexisting conditions, but other programs that millions of Americans depend on to ensure their access to affordable health care. These include federal funding for Medicaid expansion, premium subsidies to make coverage affordable in the individual market, and the ban on annual and lifetime limits on coverage. In addition, insurers would no longer be required to cover essential health care such as maternity care, pediatric services, cancer screenings, prescription drugs, and mental health and substance use disorder treatments. Additionally, dependent coverage up to age 26 would be discontinued, seniors would no longer have access to no-cost preventive services, and women could again be charged more for coverage simply because of their gender.
Our organizations strongly disagree with the DOJ’s position. We fully support the protections and programs established by the ACA that are essential to ensuring access to care. We strongly urge the administration to reverse its position in Texas v United States, and even if it does not do so, we hope and expect that the appellate courts consider the impact on patients and rule against overturning the law.
Our organizations stand ready to collaborate with the administration and Congress on policy solutions to increase access to affordable health care and provides all individuals, regardless of their gender, race, and health status; and provide reasonable protections against discrimination in coverage and pricing.”