FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
K. Kim Atterbury katterbury@nul.org
(202) 629-5750
National Urban League President Says New Executive Order Sabotages the ACA
WASHINGTON, DC (October 12, 2017) – National Urban League President and CEO, Marc H. Morial, issued the following statement today on President Trump’s new executive order allowing groups to buy cheap, unregulated health insurance plans:
“For the past 10 months the Trump Administration has done everything in its power to undermine and sabotage the success of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This administration has cut the number of open enrollment days, threatened to stop critical payments for low-income patient plans, and refused requests from states to strengthen their insurance markets. Today’s executive order represents a new and alarming attack on the ACA; one that could permanently disrupt and fatally wound the stability of the entire healthcare market.
“Despite President Trump’s past promises of more and better options, his executive order will relax standards for association health plans, loosen restrictions on short-term insurance plans, and change the reimbursement process. This will undoubtedly leave Americans, particularly those with pre-existing conditions, with fewer coverage options, higher premiums, and limited benefits. It would lure younger, healthy people to cheaper plans with inadequate coverage, effectively undercutting the health exchange.
“Those who will bear the brunt of this misguided and purely political act are low-income, poor, elderly, and sick Americans. This is a lose-lose for all who rely on the ACA.
“We implore Congress to pass a bill that will improve Obamacare by making health insurance more accessible and affordable for all. Our communities need it.”
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