Wash. Gov. Inslee: State Leaders Warn U.S. Senators of Pending ACA Lawsuit Amid Supreme Court Nomination
As the
If the court overturns the Affordable Care Act, the impacts to
In a letter to
They laid out that if the Affordable Care Act is overturned,
*
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"That a decision could be made in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and our nation's ongoing efforts to recover only intensifies the harm. More than 90,000 Washingtonians will have a new pre-existing condition this year after having been diagnosed with COVID-19," the leaders wrote. "This would have massive implications for people who rely on the law's reforms, such as women and older adults. A court decision that makes coverage unaffordable for many would effectively undermine these consumer protections and erode the safety net we have fought to preserve."
State leaders acknowledge that these are federal decision and urged members of
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To: The Honorable
The Honorable
Dear Senators Murray and Cantwell:
As the
That a decision could be handed down in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and our nation's ongoing efforts to recover only intensifies the harm. More than 90,000 Washingtonians will have a new pre-existing condition this year after having been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Since enactment of the ACA, more than 800,000 people gained coverage through the Washington Health Benefit Exchange and Medicaid expansion -- cutting our uninsured rate from 14 percent to 5.5 percent in 2019. For hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians, that coverage has persisted despite any losses of employment that occurred due to the pandemic. We have succeeded in embedding many of the ACA's protections into state law, but we cannot inoculate our people or our economy from the irreparable damages if the law is struck down. It is hard to comprehend how a decision of this magnitude could be made during a global public health crisis that is unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes.
If the
If the Affordable Care Act is struck down we will see:
* Elimination of coverage for 625,000 residents who became newly eligible for Medicaid under the ACA, at a cost of
* Elimination of financial help and likely loss of coverage for 140,000 residents who currently receive federal subsidies to purchase qualified health plans on the Exchange, at a cost of
* A total loss of over
Because of state action, consumers in
However, a decision overturning the ACA would render many of these protections useless for the hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians that could be thrown off their health plans. The ability to obtain coverage without consideration of pre-existing conditions, and with guaranteed basic and essential health benefits, provides no protection for Washingtonians who simply cannot afford the coverage. This would have massive implications for people with pre-existing conditions and others who rely on the law's reforms, such as women and older adults. A court decision that makes coverage unaffordable for many would effectively undermine these consumer protections and erode the safety net we have fought to preserve.
The Affordable Care Act is critical to providing health care during the pandemic.
During these times of public anxiety about the virus, Washingtonians should not have to worry about health insurance coverage. They need to know they have access to high quality, affordable medical care. Unfortunately, as COVID-19 has harmed our economy, thousands of people have lost their job and, along with it, their health insurance.
We know the pandemic has already caused more than 100,000 of our fellow Washingtonians to lose health coverage this year. As of
Thankfully, our Health Benefit Exchange took immediate actions in response to COVID-19 to help connect Washingtonians to health coverage under the ACA. It was the first in the nation to open a special enrollment period for people newly uninsured because of the pandemic. Our state agencies worked in partnership with community partners and employers to reach this population and let them know about their coverage options, and more than 22,000 people signed up for coverage over a two-month period. Enrollment under Medicaid expansion in our state has also increased by nearly 80,000 since the COVID-19 pandemic began and our efforts to assist the uninsured are ongoing. None of this would have been possible without the ACA.
People of color have been disproportionately impacted.
A quarter of the individuals who enrolled in coverage through our Exchange during the special enrollment period are black, indigenous or people of color. We have also seen many disparities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and deaths among people of color and indigenous people:
* Our Hispanic state residents have infections rates three times their representation in our population;
* Hospitalization among Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander peoples is four times their share of our population; and
* Deaths among
We are working to address the many disparities, but the ACA is integral to this work.
Critical coverage and essential health benefits are needed during the pandemic.
As we are seeing increased use of behavioral health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment offered by the ACA ensures life-saving care for Washingtonians who need it most. Since 2014, more than 112,000 Washingtonians newly eligible for Medicaid have accessed SUD treatment and more than 325,000 have received mental health services.
The ACA means more than just access to medical and behavioral health services. Some of the adults in our Medicaid expansion population also require rehabilitation in a nursing facility after an acute hospital stay and others with behavioral health challenges have sought help with activities of daily living. Many of these adults needed these services provided through nursing facilities, adult family homes and at home -- and have received care as a direct result of the law.
Confirmation of
All Washingtonians deserve affordable, quality health coverage. We have made amazing strides toward this goal under the ACA. Yet the California v. Texas lawsuit threatens to wipe out our progress and endanger the lives of our neighbors, friends and family. Given that
We ask that you continue fighting with us to protect the health and well-being of our state.
Sincerely,
Enclosure: Detailed list of consumerprotections in the ACA and the associated protections now
embedded in our state law.
Tables can be found here: https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/GOV%20OIC%20HBE%20SCOTUS%20Delegation%20Letter.pdf
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