AAFP Issues Statement to Improve Affordable Care Act

LEAWOOD, Kan., July 28 -- The American Academy of Family Physicians issued the following statement by President John Meigs Jr. on the Affordable Care Act:

"The American Academy of Family Physicians is encouraged that the U.S. Senate failed to pass health care reform legislation. This harmful legislation would have put the health of millions of Americans at risk through loss of coverage and destabilization of the health insurance market. We applaud those Senators who rejected this flawed proposal and stood up for health care coverage for people in their state.

"By removing the individual and employer mandates and making health insurance optional, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that premiums would have risen up to 20 percent with each passing year, putting affordable coverage out of reach for millions of Americans. The Senate tried to pull the rug out from under the insurance market and failed.

"The Affordable Care Act was not and is not perfect, and improvements need to be made to our health care system. Rather than pulling the foundation out from under the health insurance market, the AAFP calls on the Senate to work in a bipartisan and transparent manner to improve the ACA, not undermine it.

"We welcome the opportunity to work with Congress to improve the law on behalf of the members we serve and the millions of patients under their care. The American Academy of Family Physicians will continue our outreach to Congress to identify and implement those improvements. Again, we are much encouraged by the outcome of today's vote."