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Center for Medicare Advocacy Files Amicus Brief In Support of the Affordable Care Act -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2019
Today
the Center for Medicare Advocacy joined AARP and Justice in Aging in filing
an amicus
brief in Texas v. United
States, urging the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the
trial court’s December 2018 ruling that would nullify the entire Affordable
Care Act (ACA). The three organizations highlight the ACA’s critical
protections for older adults and the disastrous ramifications that would
ensue if the law were to be struck down. The amicus brief was filed in
support of the appellant states, which are led by California. Last week, the
U.S. Department of Justice announced
a new, more extreme position in the case, maintaining that the entire law
must be invalidated.
The
brief explains that the ACA is a lifeline for older adults, who rely on it
for their health and financial stability. For “pre-Medicare” individuals,
ages 50-64, the law guarantees coverage of preexisting conditions and limits
how much more insurers can charge based on age. For Medicare beneficiaries,
the ACA lowers medical costs by, among other things, closing the “doughnut
hole” in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. That provision alone
has saved more than 11.8 million Medicare beneficiaries over $26.8 billion.
The law eliminated out-of-pocket costs for numerous preventive services. The
ACA also helps nursing facility residents by protecting against fraud and
abuse. Finally, the ACA strengthens the financial solvency of the Medicare
program, having extended the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by approximately
eight years.
“If
the ACA is struck down,” said Judith Stein, Executive Director of the Center
for Medicare Advocacy, “millions of older adults and people with disabilities
will lose the health care coverage and consumer protections they have relied
on for almost a decade.” Because the ACA contains around 165 provisions that
impact Medicare, it will also throw the Medicare program into fiscal and
administrative turmoil, which will disrupt the nation’s health care system
and economy. It will plunge the more than 100 million people with
preexisting conditions into uncertainty about whether they can obtain
coverage.
As
the brief states:
The
ACA is deeply rooted into the nation’s health care system and economy.
Millions of Americans depend on the Act for their health, protection, and
well-being. Their lives now hang in the balance…. The ACA is the law of the
land.
The Center for Medicare Advocacy (http://www.medicareadvocacy.org), established in 1986, is a national
nonprofit, nonpartisan law organization that provides education, advocacy,
analysis and legal assistance to help older people and people with
disabilities obtain fair access to Medicare and quality health care. We focus
on the needs of Medicare beneficiaries, people with chronic conditions, and
those in need of long-term care. The organization is involved in writing,
education, and advocacy of importance to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide.
The Center is headquartered in Connecticut and Washington, DC, with offices
throughout the country.
Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc. • www.MedicareAdvocacy.org •
PO Box 350, Willimantic, CT 06226 • 1025 CT Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 |
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