SILVER SPRING, MD – The American Nurses Association (ANA) reiterated its longstanding support for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and opposition to efforts to weaken or invalidate the act following a Trump Administration legal filing in support of efforts to overturn the ACA in its entirety in a case before the Supreme Court.
“It is unconscionable that in the midst of a pandemic, the Trump Administration continues its relentless push to strike down the Affordable Care Act, which has increased access to health care for millions of Americans,” said ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN. “If the act is overturned, millions of Americans would be stripped of access to health care coverage and lose protections for pre-existing conditions.”
It is estimated that more than 20 million Americans would lose access to health care coverage and some 135 million individuals with pre-existing conditions would be at risk of losing coverage. Adding to the ranks of those with pre-existing conditions, are individuals who may have ongoing health impacts due to COVID-19.
This latest action follows a final rule by the administration on June 12 th that reverses a policy in the ACA that prohibits discrimination against patients based on their gender or sexual orientation.
“These actions are of grave concern and increase the burden on vulnerable groups who are already suffering disproportionately from loss of jobs and health insurance coupled, with a greater incidence of COVID-19 disease in their communities,” said Grant.
The sweeping reforms included in the ACA impact most Americans in some ways. If the Supreme Court invalidates the act, the effects on the health care system and the public would be far-reaching. For decades, ANA has advocated for health care reforms that would guarantee access to high-quality health care for all.
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