The U.S. House Budget Committee is expected to vote this week on the American Health Care Act, the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act.
The following is a statement from Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition:
“As the sole New York member of the Republican majority on the House Budget Committee, Congressman John Faso should to stand up for all New Yorkers by voting against advancing the American Health Care Act (AHCA) out of committee. The AHCA would be a disaster for New Yorkers, including the millions of immigrants who now depend on the guarantee of quality, affordable health coverage that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides.
"The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 24 million people – disproportionately low-income and other vulnerable populations – will lose coverage because of this misguided proposal, which dismantles the Medicaid program as we know it. The AHCA would also decimate the financial sustainability of safety net hospitals that many immigrant New Yorkers rely on for care regardless of coverage or ability to pay, cutting over $1 billion in payments over three years to hospitals that provide a disproportionate share of care to uninsured patients and Medicaid beneficiaries. In Mr. Faso’s 19th Congressional District alone, nearly 162,000 people will lose coverage and the district would lose $17 million annually in the form of Medicaid funding the counties in the district receive through the ACA, which help support vital county services including health care.
"Any change to the ACA should increase the number of people covered and improve the quality and affordability of health coverage. The House Republican plan does none of these things and should be opposed by all members of the New York Congressional delegation, starting with a vote from Mr. Faso.”
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The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees. The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.