RED ALERT! Call Congress now to protect health care!
September 20, 2017 • 1 minute, 39 seconds to read
RED ALERT!
The Senate is taking another shot at repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Graham-Cassidy bill is even worse than its predecessors. It would increase uninsured by millions, cost state governments billions more, and eliminate protections for those with pre-existing conditions. And the Senate aims to pass this bill in the next two weeks.
Nurses need to call members of Congress right now and voice strong opposition to this bill. Health care for millions of Americans is at stake – and patients’ lives are on the line.
The Graham-Cassidy repeal bill is worse than the Senate repeal proposals that failed in July:
- It still guts Medicaid by cutting hundreds of billions of dollars, and it eliminates the Medicaid expansion.
- It allows states to let insurance companies charge people with pre-existing conditions exorbitant rates and to gut other key protections.
- It still strips health care from people with disabilities, seniors in nursing homes, children and other vulnerable populations.
- It still allows states to let insurance companies charge up to five times more for people over 50.
- It still means tens of millions would have their health care taken away—up to 32 million, we believe (although no one will really know until the CBO score is released).
- It still leaves in place a tax on working families’ health plans that provide strong benefits.
And, for the first time, the Republican repeal bill eliminates tax credits that make health care more affordable for people with coverage through the ACA.
We know Washington’s Senators are fighting to save health care for millions of Americans – but they still need to hear an outpouring of calls from their constituents asking them to prevent this bill from becoming law. Ask them to #ProtectOurCare.
The vast majority of national health organizations, including the American Nurses Association, remain opposed to this latest iteration of repeal.
WSNA is committed to continuing to strongly oppose proposals that would strip health care from hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians. WSNA stands with Washington’s health care and elected leaders to ensure our state’s residents can access and afford the care they need