Today, the Senate released the latest version of their bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
In response, Board Chair of Physicians for Reproductive Health Dr. Willie Parker issued the following statement:
No number of amendments will make this a good health care bill.
“I grew up in the South having this very basic principle reinforced to me by my single mother, who raised six of us: there is no ‘right’ way to do the wrong thing. The effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is just that—trying to find a right way to do the wrong thing, and no number of amendments will make this a good health care bill.
This bill will not only hurt my patients where I practice in the South, but will cause harm so sweeping that it will affect women’s health all over the country. It will undo the tremendous gains made in women’s health care under the Affordable Care Act.This latest bill still does nothing that would keep women and their families healthy, like covering all reproductive health services: preventive services, contraception, abortion, and maternity care. It will dramatically reduce coverage access for low-income women, people of color, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, virtually placing coverage completely out of their reach. Millions more will end up uninsured. Our nation deserves better than a bill that compromises the people’s health.
My colleagues and I urge the Senate to stop trying to repeal health care policies that are keeping millions of Americans healthy.”