House Republicans Vote for the "Umpteenth Time" to Stand with Insurance Companies and to Take Away Consumer Rights in the Health Insurance Marketplace

Republicans Vote for the 31st Time to Repeal a Law that Is Already Saving Lives and Reducing Health Care Costs

House Republicans Vote (Ironically) to Raise Taxes on the Middle Class

On Wednesday, July 11, the House of Representatives will vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of the health consumer organization Families USA, about this development:

“For the umpteenth time, House Republicans will vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, continuing a purely partisan campaign that will harm middle-class and working families.

“Voting to repeal the health care law demonstrates that House Republicans put the interests of insurance companies before those of hard-working Americans who need affordable health insurance. Voting to repeal the law is a vote to make seniors and women pay more out of pocket for health care. And ironically, voting to repeal the law is a Republican vote for a significant increase in taxes for middle-class families.

“Repealing the Affordable Care Act would have the following negative effects:

• Opens the Door to Insurance Abuses: Repealing the Affordable Care Act would take away protections against insurance company abuses, including: denying health coverage to people with pre-existing conditions (like children with asthma or diabetes); withdrawing coverage when people get sick; setting arbitrary limits on insurance company payouts for people with major illnesses or accidents; and spending substantial portions of premium dollars on agents’ fees, marketing, advertising, administration, CEO compensation, and profits. 
  
  
• Shifts Health Care Costs Back to Millions of American Families: Repealing the Affordable Care Act would eliminate seniors’ ability to get preventive care (like annual physician exams and screenings) for free and would take away the new help for seniors who need costly prescription medicines. 
  
  
• Harms Women: Repealing the Affordable Care Act would eliminate the prohibition that prevents insurers from discriminatingagainst women by charging higher premiums based solely on gender. Repealing the law would take away the requirement that insurance companies cover preventive care like check-ups, mammograms, colonoscopies, and contraceptive services without any deductibles or copayments.
  
  
• Raises Taxes on Middle-Class Families: Repealing the Affordable Care Act would eliminate the large tax credits that will help with the cost of premiums—tax credits that will be provided by the new law to middle-class Americans in 2014. A vote to repeal the law would mean that millions of middle-class taxpayers would be forced to pay thousands of dollars more in taxes, and, in the process, they would lose the help they need to make private insurance premiums affordable.

“It is time for House Republicans to get over their time-consuming and harmful obsession with the Affordable Care Act and to work cooperatively to strengthen America’s economy and health care system.”

###

Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org