The invoice, that passed with a narrow margin, is the revised version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a GOP strategy to displace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Within hours of the election, a number of the nation’s top organizations representing thousands and thousands of physicians and physicians in practice, made statements and talked on media.
“Our organizations, which signify 560,000 physicians and healthcare students, are profoundly disappointed that the U.S. House of Representatives today passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), an inherently flawed bill that could do great damage to our patients,” a joint statement by six medical groups whose members include family physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians, gynecologists, osteopathic physicians, psychiatrists and health care students said.
Noted their members would be the frontline physicians who offer psychological and physical health care services to tens of thousands of Americans daily; the classes are:
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American College of Physicians
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- American Psychiatric Association American
- American Osteopathic Association
Despite their efforts to educate lawmakers Ahead of the vote concerning the consequences of the Trump-endorsed legislation, the authorities said, “Unfortunately, the AHCA, as amended and passed by the House, violates their fundamentals, radically increasing prices for elderly individuals, Leading to countless people losing their health care policy, and returning into a system that allows carriers to discriminate against people with preexisting ailments. “
The bill will now head to the Senate, where lawmakers will be anticipated to make significant changes. The healthcare organizations urged senators to “promptly put apart the AHCA, and instead work together with our organizations to attain real bipartisan solutions to enhance affordability, accessibility, and policy whatsoever.”
The American Medical Association issued a separate statement noting that it had strongly opposed the bill. “If the AHCA had been to become law, tens of thousands of Americans could get rid of health insurance policy, along with also the safety net provided by Medicaid would be severely affected,” the AMA said.
Dr. Andrew Gurman, president of the AMA, said people with preexisting health states face the chance of going back into the time when insurers may charge premiums that made access to policy out of this question. He urged that the Senate and the government to work together with physicians, hospitals, physicians and other provider groups “to manage alternatives so all American families can access affordable and purposeful protection, while preserving the safety net for vulnerable people.”
— AMA (@AmerMedicalAssn) May 4, 2017
Even the American Academy of Pediatrics released a report on its own, focusing to the bill’s potential effect on kids. Passage of AHCA has been “putting into motion a dangerous policy precedent and clearing the first obstacle to reversing the tremendous progress we’ve created in children’s health care policy,” the team said.
The speed of children’s health policy in the country is at a historic high of 95 per cent, but “that the AHCA would not just stop this progress, it might tear it down, but” that the AAP statement said. “AHCA is policy for kids and dangerous policy for the country, and also the American Academy of Pediatrics will last to speak out against it.”
— Amer Acad Pediatrics (@AmerAcadPeds) May 4, 2017
Pediatrician Dr. Nathaniel Beers, CEO and president of the HSC Health Care System in Washington, D.C., told CBS News, “I think that the first reaction is merely disappointment that a group of adults wouldn’t be willing to think about the consequences for over 37 million kids and their families.”
Beers, whose wellbeing focuses on kids with disabilities, said, “The lack of awareness of what the lack of support for preexisting conditions and solutions that school systems have the ability to charge for may have real consequences on the quality of life and results for children.”
The American Nurses Association, which represents over 3.6 million registered nurses, but too strongly opposed the AHCA, stating that it is “profoundly disappointed with the passing of the legislation.”
“Within the last several months, physicians from across the country expressed their strong disapproval of the bill which could negatively affect the health of the country. Now, Congress not simply ignored the voice of the nation’s most ethical and honest livelihood and largest group of health care professionals,” said ANA President Pamela Ciprianosaid
A number of the largest health organizations of the country spoke out as well.
American Heart Association CEO Dr. Nancy Brown tweeted, “Quite disappointed in #AHCA vote. We will not stop fighting for accessible, decent & affordable health care for all.”
Quite disappointed in #AHCA vote. We will not stop fighting for accessible, decent & affordable health care for all https://t.co/hnTtufuHeg
— Nancy Brown (@NancyatHeart) May 4, 2017
The American Diabetes Association, that advocates for the more 29 million Americans living with diabetes along with 86 million together with prediabetes, tweeted, “We are extremely disappointed with the House’s passage of this #AHCA.”
A statement about the group’s website elaborated on those issues: “The most alarming last minute changes to the bill enables countries to waive the need for key health benefits and health status score. Weakening these principles will give insurers the ability to control people like diabetes, prices that are higher. It is going to also allow insurers to deny people with diabetes policy for the services and care they have to treat their disease.”
Even the American Lung Association tweeted: “#AHCA fails countless Americans with lung disease & other serious diseases. We call about the #Senate to shield patients.”
— American Lung Assoc. (@LungAssociation) May 4, 2017
Rebecca Parker, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, told CBS News, “We are pretty worried that the AHCA passed from the house now, in particular providing the capability for nations to waive essential advantages of emergency services. People can’t choose when they are likely to have an emergency and can’t fret about if they are likely to be insured or not.”
At a statement echoing those opinions, the American College of Emergency Physicians also reported, “At a recent survey, Americans overwhelmingly — 95 percent– wanted health insurance companies to cover emergency health care, and we all agree with them.”
Their concern was voiced by State health organizations, also. The California Medical Association (CMA), that represents over 43,000 physicians in most medical specialties, cautioned that “this flawed policy will worsen both policy and access to care for Californians, particularly for Medicaid (Medi-Cal) patients, girls and Californians living with preexisting health ailments.
CMA president Dr. Ruth Haskins said, “Now the House of Representatives turned their backs on 24 million Americans and 3 million Californians who’ll be left without health coverage or access to care.”
