WASHINGTON — March 7, 2017 — Yesterday evening, House Republicans unveiled a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The plan removes the mandate for health insurance coverage and creates a new system of tax credits focused on the open market. The National League of Cities (NLC) has advocated that any repeal of the ACA includes a replacement plan that provides the same level of health insurance coverage and does not place the burden on cities. In response to yesterday’s announcement, NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence E. Anthony released the following statement:
“The National League of Cities calls on Congress to make further improvements in pending proposals to revise the Affordable Care Act. While the newest proposal keeps important insurance standards and consumer protections and drops the caps on income tax exemption for employer-sponsored health coverage, it falls short on coverage protections for the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid or state exchanges, and calls for the repeal of the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which provides important access to vaccines and public health programs to cities.
“Any diminishment in the quality and coverage of health insurance provisions from the federal level will ultimately pass costs onto cities and threaten the role that healthy communities play in supporting a strong economy. It remains our stance that healthcare reform should not place an unfair burden on America’s cities, nor should it increase the number of Americans who are uninsured.
“We hope that Congress will hear the message delivered by the over 2,000 city leaders that will come to Washington next week – access to health care is a key cornerstone of economic opportunity and mobility and cannot be compromised.”
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The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. www.nlc.org