The recent defeat of the Senate Republican health bills that aimed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a victory worth celebrating. The proposed “skinny repeal” bill would have increased the number of uninsured people by 15 million next year and premiums for people buying insurance on their own would have increased about 20 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
But make no mistake – our fight is not over yet. We are closely monitoring the Trump administration’s efforts to attack important pieces of the ACA’s foundation, such as the threat of discontinuing the Cost Sharing Reductions or the individual mandate, both of which help make exchange coverage affordable and stabilize the overall marketplace.
In the meantime, we will continue to be alert for additional proposals that attempt to weaken Medicaid and the exchanges over the coming months.
While we do not know what the future holds, you can count on L.A. Care to be a voice for our members as we remain committed to our mission of providing quality health care for those who need it most.
John Baackes