Repealing the ACA Would be Yet Another Trump-Era Civil Rights Rollback

The uninsured rate among African Americans and Latinos has dropped significantly over the past several years under Obamacare. Trump and congressional Republicans shouldn’t reverse that.

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The Leadership Conference has long believed that access to affordable, quality health care is a fundamental civil and human rights issue. Indeed, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is often quoted as saying, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

The House-passed American Health Care Act (AHCA) is certainly shocking and inhumane. More than 150 civil and human rights organizations wrote to the Senate this week to make the point that the approach the AHCA takes would leave at least 23 million people in the United States, particularly people of color and underserved populations, significantly worse off than under current law — the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA and Medicaid are critical sources of health coverage for America’s traditionally underserved communities, including families and individuals living in poverty, people of color, women, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and individuals with limited English proficiency. The majority of House Republicans voted to eviscerate the ACA and Medicaid anyway.

By facilitating access to affordable health care, the ACA took a giant step forward towards justice for vulnerable communities, integrating the uninsured more fully into the life of our nation. Access to health care has meant the ability to participate on a more equal footing with the rest of society. Since the ACA’s passage, low-income Americans have been more likely to get the health care they need and less likely to go into debt to pay for their health care, which can dramatically affect a person’s job performance and family relationships. That’s a standard that wouldn’t be met under legislation like the AHCA.

For African Americans and Latinos over the last several years, the drop in the uninsured rate among non-elderly people has been significant across the country. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analyzed American Community Survey data, and the findings speak for themselves.

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If Congress votes to pass AHCA-like legislation, it will further inequality in our nation and backtrack on a remarkable step forward in fighting against injustice in health care. The nation and our communities can’t afford to go back to a time when they didn’t have access to comprehensive, affordable coverage. Make sure you tell your senators.

The Leadership Conference

Written by

The nation’s oldest and largest civil and human rights coalition.

The Leadership Conference

Written by

The nation’s oldest and largest civil and human rights coalition.

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