NCJW Calls on Congress to Protect Health Care for Millions

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The National Council of Jewish Women issued the following statement by CEO Nancy K. Kaufman calling on Congress to protect Health Care for millions:

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) today denounced the 51-48 vote in the Senate to begin the process of dismantling the Affordable Care Act without a replacement that will, at minimum, provide all the benefits of the current law at a reasonable cost to consumers:

"The Senate vote to proceed with dismantling the Affordable Care Act shows callous disregard for the needs of millions who access quality affordable health care. If President-elect Trump and the congressional majority succeed, those enrolled through the health care plan will again be forced to choose between caring for their health or meeting other basic needs like food and rent. Even those who enjoy access to employer-based plans will be deprived of many benefits, such as keeping their children on their health care plan until they reach 26 years of age or being able to gain coverage despite pre-existing conditions. NCJW has worked to achieve comprehensive health care reform for many decades, and we will work very hard to defeat its repeal.

"The Affordable Care Act is the most important piece of social legislation since the New Deal and fills a gaping hole in our social safety net. Before its passage, it is estimated 40,000 people a year died prematurely for lack of health insurance. Millions lacked affordable access to preventive care. Expensive and overworked emergency rooms were clinics of first resort. People with chronic or catastrophic illnesses faced arbitrary caps on their lifetime insurance benefits and millions who could not afford private coverage nevertheless earned too much to enroll in Medicaid. Drug costs for seniors were too high.

"The health care law has been especially important to women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, people of color, and those struggling to make ends meet. It ushered in protections against gender and sex discrimination in insurance, including maternity care, a key new required benefit excluded by 87 percent of individual market plans in 2009. And today, most insurers must cover, without copays or other added expenses, contraception, domestic violence screenings, annual exams, cervical cancer screenings and mammograms, among other life-saving preventive care that many women used to forego due to cost.

"The Affordable Care Act's federal support for Medicaid expansion has helped millions of adults, parents, and pregnant women with low incomes gain coverage and affordable access to care in 32 states. Since the law took effect, significantly fewer women, particularly women struggling to make ends meet and women of color, have had to delay or skip care due to financial barriers.

"NCJW firmly believes access to affordable, quality health care is a moral imperative. Each of us deserves the ability to care for our health without risking our economic security or other basic needs, regardless of income, race, gender, or other factors. We intend to fight every effort to roll back the clock on access to coverage and care and we call on all to join us. The life you save may be your neighbor's, your co-workers, or even your own."

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.

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