The American Medical Association is the latest medical group to come out against the American Health Care Act, issuing a warning Thursday that millions could lose coverage.
"As we have previously stated, we are deeply concerned that the AHCA would result in millions of Americans losing their current health insurance coverage," wrote Dr. James L. Madara, AMA chief executive, in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Dr. Andrew Gurman, AMA president, wrote a statement the same day that "as many as 10 million Americans could lose coverage if this bill becomes law…. That just won't do."
"Nothing in the MacArthur amendment remedies the shortcomings of the underlying bill," Madara wrote on Thursday.
Madara specifies the lack of "a clear long-term framework" so that low and moderate income patients can afford coverage, and so "critical safety net programs are maintained and adequately funded.
"The MacArthur Amendment would allow states to apply for waivers from critical consumer protections provided in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the age rating ratio of 3 to 1, the requirements that health insurers must cover certain essential health benefits, and the ban on health status underwriting.
"The current ban on health status underwriting protects individuals from being discriminated against by virtue of their medical conditions."
The AMA is "particularly concerned about allowing states to waive this requirement because it will likely lead to patients losing their coverage. Although the MacArthur Amendment states that the ban on preexisting conditions remains intact, this assurance may be illusory as health status underwriting could effectively make coverage completely unaffordable to people with preexisting conditions."
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