With all the confusion surrounding health care this past year, U.S. Pain wants to remind members that the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, is still in place and enrollment for 2018 is ending soon, on Dec. 15, 2017.
Whether you need to enroll for the first time or re-enroll for the same coverage, Dec. 15, 2017 is the final date you can enroll for coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2018.
During the early morning hours of July 28, the U.S. Senate narrowly rejected the most recent proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as the “skinny repeal.” McCain (R-Arizona), who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, casted the deciding vote.
U.S. Pain was among many health and patient organizations that opposed the proposed reform, including: the American Medical Association; the American Public Health Association; American Hospital Association; AARP; the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; and the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
On July 25, the Senate voted to start debate on several proposed bills that aim to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While it remains unclear what the final version of the bill will look like, every proposal so far would likely have negative consequences on those with chronic pain and other chronic illnesses.
U.S. Pain is asking members to take action now by sending a letter to your senators using this easy tool. Most major health care organizations oppose the proposed reforms, including the American Medical Association; the American Public Health Association; American Hospital Association; American Association of Medical Colleges; AARP; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; American Heart Association: American Lung Association; and National Organization for Rare Disorders.
MIDDLETOWN, CONN., July 28, 2017-In the early morning hours, the U.S. Senate narrowly rejected the most recent proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, known as the “skinny repeal.” McCain (R-Arizona), who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, casted the deciding vote.
“Putting politics aside, we are pleased to learn that people with chronic pain woke up the quality and accessibility of their health care still protected ,” said president and founder of U.S. Pain Foundation, Paul Gileno. “As an organization created by people with pain for people with pain, we were concerned about the far-reaching consequences of the bill.”
U.S. Pain remains extremely concerned about the Senate’s proposed Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) and its negative implications for the 100 million Americans living with chronic pain. The concerns are as follows:
- While these reforms may make insurance cheaper for healthy individuals, their insurance will be significantly inferior, which will become a problem should they develop a chronic condition, like chronic pain. As the pain community knows, chronic pain can strike at any time.
- Meanwhile, people with chronic health conditions and older individuals will likely be subjected to higher costs—without any improvement in the quality of their insurance or even a decline in quality.
- Many individuals will lose access to low-cost insurance through Medicaid. But chronic pain can affect peoples’ ability to work. Through no fault of their own, they have difficulty affording health insurance and rely on Medicaid for care.
U.S. Pain recognizes that this is a highly sensitive and polarizing issue for many people. As such, it has put together a chart about some of the differences between the ACA and the BCRA.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 4, 2017
Contact — Paul Gileno
Email — contact@uspainfoundation.org
Website — uspainfoundation.org
Middletown, CT, May 4, 2017-The U.S. Pain Foundation is gravely concerned about its members who will lose their healthcare coverage or will face steep increases for pre-existing medical conditions if the House-passed version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) of 2017 prevails as law. Today’s actions in the House marks unchartered territory for millions of Americans who rely on the existing healthcare system to receive essential and life-saving treatments.