Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin/Flickr/Gage Skidmore
AHCA Release Ignites Concerns from Right and Left
The administration’s plan to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was released earlier this week and has ignited a firestorm among Republicans and Democrats alike.
Democrats claim the American Health Care Act (AHCA) will create havoc and hardship for millions of the most vulnerable.
Many Republicans are worried about the plan’s effect on their constituents, while more conservative members of the GOP feel it doesn’t go far enough in repealing the ACA.
While there is a stated push by the new administration to “sell” the plan and implement it quickly to keep campaign promises, legislators in both parties are calling for time to examine the plan and analyze the cost of the plan, which has yet to be determined.
As almost everyone knows, finding a way to provide affordable health care in this country is very complicated and requires a delicate balance of funding by the federal government and states. It’s likely that there will be several changes before a final plan is in place.
What seems to be clear is that the changes coming down the road will have a direct impact on nurses, patients, and the institutions in which we work. Will staffing be cut if states lose federal reimbursements? Will our own health benefits through employers cost more or be cut back? Will EDs once again become the health care provider for the poor?
Nurse, Physician, Hospital Organizations Signal Opposition
Heath professionals and advocacy groups are beginning to react— several have come out against the bill, including AARP, the American Nurses Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Hospital Association.
We all need to be cognizant of what changes are in the offing—for our patients. for ourselves, our families, and our communities. Here are some resources where you can read the plan for yourself and find analyses of impending changes:
The Plan
The American Health Care Act (AHCA)
Sites with Analyses of the Bill
Kaiser Health News, The Commonwealth Fund, Factcheck.org, Washington Post, USA Today, Vox, New York Times, Los Angeles Times
All of the concerns listed in your last paragraph about worse staffing, lesser reimbursement,higher costs, etc. have already come to fruition long before this new proposal, and became much worse with the beginning of Obamacare.