DOA for ACA?
Not so fast: Congress can’t leave millions without health care
Health care was voters’ top priority, according to polls, and Democrats won them over by a wide margin, 77 percent to 22 percent.
But even after voters spoke so clearly, Republicans in Congress remain committed to health care repeal. On Jan. 16, the House of Representatives took action to protect the Affordable Care Act from a lawsuit (Texas vs. U.S.) which would dissolve it. Every single Republican voted against that protection, abandoning millions of Americans who now have health insurance.
The ACA expanded coverage to 20 million people, outlawed various insurance abuses, prioritized comprehensive and affordable patient care, all while it protected people with pre-existing conditions from losing coverage.
Yet, on Congress’s first health care vote since “we, the people” voted in historical numbers to tell Congress to end its war on health care, Republicans tried once again to dismantle the ACA.
Instead of threatening the health care of millions of Americans, as President Donald Trump and the GOP are doing, our representatives should stand up and declare their intent to become the Health Care Congress.
First, Congress must stabilize and strengthen the ACA. The American people expect Congress to do everything possible to overturn last year’s federal court decision against the ACA – a decision President Trump has repeatedly celebrated. This first step would include passing a Senate resolution similar to the House measure to authorize legal counsel to intervene in the lawsuit.
Second, Congress must end the perpetual threat of removing protections for people with pre-existing conditions. These protections are the most popular provision of the ACA because Americans agree that health insurance should be comprehensive and insurance
companies should never abandon patients in their hour of need.
Despite this widespread consensus, the Trump Administration has created loopholes that allow states and insurance companies to abdicate their responsibility to people with pre-existing conditions. The Health Care Congress would prohibit insurance companies from selling junk health insurance plans that deny quality, affordable coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. These junk plans are void of the essential benefits required by the ACA.
Third, with rising health-care costs, Congress should legislate new cost control measures across our health-care system – from prescription drugs to health-care delivery costs, from the impact of lobbyists to serious tort reform. Our country spends more per capita on health care than any other industrialized nation, yet our outcomes are no better.
Fourth, a Health Care Congress would stop undermining the individual marketplace. This means funding the marketing campaign and providing customer service assistance to ensure that signing up is easy and accessible.
Finally, Congress must protect Medicaid and strengthen Medicare. We cannot allow federal funding for Medicaid to be refashioned into block grants nor can states be allowed to mandate a complicated work requirement system. One was implemented in Arkansas last year resulting in almost 17,000 people losing their health coverage.
Furthermore, to move towards the critical goal of universal coverage – meaning quality, affordable health care for every American – Congress should create a strong Medicare buy-in option.
This public option would offer coverage for those who don’t have employerbased insurance and are not eligible for subsidies. Allowing consumers to purchase an affordable public option that competes with private insurance plans enhances free market forces and drives down costs. Medicare’s affordability can be improved by adding an out-ofpocket maximum for older Americans and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug pricing.
Overall, there is a great deal that Congress can do to improve the state of our health-care system. Our country deserves a Health Care Congress which will work on behalf of its citizens’ health and well-being. What could be more urgent than that?
Dr. Hiral Tipirneni is a former emergency room doctor and cancer research advocate, wife and mom living in Glendale. Reach her at hiralvt@gmail.com; on Twitter: @hiral4congress.