Repealing ACA would hurt N.M.

Elena, a 29-year-old graduate student in New Mexico, is one of thousands of New Mexicans who signed up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. She was healthy when she first enrolled, but an unexpected medical episode turned her world upside down.

“Shortly after enrolling in Medicaid through the ACA, I had a seizure for the first time in her life. I needed an MRI, EEG and the care of a neurologist. I was relieved to learn that I was suffering from a seizure disorder that could be controlled with medication. I was also incredibly grateful that Medicaid significantly reduced all of my medical bills. I could afford the treatment I needed, and I have not had a seizure since.”

Without the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare,” Elena would have been locked out of affordable health coverage, forced into medical debt, and unable to access the health care she needed. For thousands of New Mexicans, this is what is at stake if the ACA is repealed.

The health law has dramatically increased access to health care for Americans, extending coverage to over 20 million people and reducing uninsured rates to the lowest level in history. As a result, New Mexico’s uninsured rate has nearly been cut in half. In addition, the ACA has made major strides in improving the quality of health care in the U.S. while lowering the growth of health costs.

Now, the president and many Republican members of Congress are moving toward ripping away health coverage for millions of Americans like Elena.

The proposed repeal would be disastrous for New Mexicans. An estimated 266,000 New Mexicans would lose coverage, and 332,000 New Mexicans with pre-existing conditions could be locked out of health insurance. Insurance companies could once again set annual and lifetime limits for those who need care the most. Young adults would be thrown off their parents’ insurance.

The impact on the state’s already fragile economy would also be catastrophic. New Mexico’s economy stands to lose more than $28 billion in federal funds over 10 years. Since more people won’t have insurance to pay for care, the state would have to revert to paying hospitals for uncompensated care, costing millions every year. Over the next five years, $40 million would be stripped out of the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Nineteen thousand jobs are on the line if the Affordable Care Act is repealed, impacting not only the health care industry but also construction, real estate, retail, finance, insurance and others.

For the past six years, the promise of a “better” replacement to the ACA has been broken time and time again. Even as they push forward on repeal, congressional Republicans still cannot agree on a replacement plan. At the highest levels of government, there is no consensus around whether, or how, a replacement should cover as many people as the ACA has. Any plan to replace the Affordable Care Act would need the votes of eight Senate Democrats. Is there a proposal on the table that could get support from the most hard-line conservatives and those eight Senate Democrats? If not, Congress needs to slow down to build consensus rather than recklessly repealing the law, leaving millions without access to essential health care.

Repeal is not inevitable. A grassroots movement is rising up to protect health care. Leaders are hearing the concerns of people like Elena, whose health would suffer if the ACA is repealed. National lawmakers should do what is right and make the law work better for the people they serve rather than take away health care from millions.