Lobbying groups representing doctors and hospitals said Thursday that they oppose a bill that Republicans are advancing to repeal portions of Obamacare.
The bill, the American Health Care Act, was recently amended to allow states to apply for waivers that would allow them to opt out of certain Obamacare protections if they demonstrate that they would reduce premiums but not reduce coverage. While supporters say the provisions would help reduce costs, opponents say they would gut important Obamacare protections for consumers that would allow insurers to make coverage out of reach for people with pre-existing conditions.
Medical groups signaled that they agree with those concerns. Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, said his organization could not support the bill, saying that its members were concerned about the effect it could have on people with pre-existing conditions. He encouraged Congress to “continue to work with stakeholders on a solution that provides meaningful coverage.”
“The amendment proposed this week would dramatically worsen the bill,” Pollack said. “The changes included put consumer protections at greater risk by allowing states to waive the essential health benefit standards, which could leave patients without access to critical health services and increase out-of-pocket spending. This could allow plans to set premium prices based on individual risk for some consumers, which could significantly raise costs for those with pre-existing conditions.”
The American Medical Association, the nation’s largest doctor group, urged Congress to oppose the bill in a letter sent Thursday.
“We are deeply concerned that the AHCA would result in millions of Americans losing their current health insurance coverage,” wrote Dr. James Madara, CEO and executive vice president for the group. “The amendment does not offer a clear long-term framework for stabilizing and strengthening the individual health insurance market to ensure that low and moderate income patients are able to secure affordable and adequate coverage, nor does it ensure that Medicaid and other critical safety net programs are maintained and adequately funded.”
Other groups, including the March of Dimes, America’s Essential Hospitals and AARP, have recently said they oppose the bill.
The latest version of the American Health Care Act has not been scored by the Congressional Budget Office, but previous estimates indicated that the number of uninsured could rise by 24 million by 2026, which would also increase the amount of care that patients couldn’t pay for and would have to be picked up by providers.
