Senate GOP Acts to Undermine Affordable Care Act in Tax Bill

Action would mean that millions would lose access to health care, Women and Families would be hurt the most

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate GOP leaders moved to undo a critical provision of the Affordable Care Act, a move that could result in 13 million people losing access to health care coverage. At the urging of President Trump, Senate Republican leaders amended their tax bill to repeal the ACA’s requirement that most people sign up for insurance coverage, the individual mandate. As a result of the ACA, nearly 10 million women gained health care coverage and the number of uninsured women was cut nearly by half. This action threatens to reverse that progress.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that individual market premiums would increase by 10 percent without the individual mandate. After a public outcry, and it was opposed by governors of both parties, health insurers, physicians, patient advocates, and experts, repeal of the Affordable Care Act was rejected in the Senate.

Statement of Dana Singiser, Vice President, Planned Parenthood Action Fund:

GOP leaders are hell bent on undermining the health care of millions. After hundreds of thousands of people made calls, visited offices and shared their stories, it is nonsensical that Senate leaders would again try to take insurance coverage away from millions. People across America have been clear: they oppose the Congressional and Trump Administration attacks on their access to affordable health care. By repealing this critical portion of the Affordable Care Act, millions of people’s premiums will rise. Taking away health insurance coverage for 13 million people is bad medicine and bad policy.

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Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including voter education, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy.