In a letter aimed at the Republican Party, The American Medical Association sent Republicans two strong messages. First, don’t repeal Obamacare until you know what you’re putting in its place. And second, don’t do anything that would reduce the number of uninsured Americans – which is now at a historic low.
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The American Medical Association delivered these in an open letter addressed to congressional leaders of both parties but the intended audience is unmistakable – Congressional Republicans and Donald Trump who are racing towards repealing Obamacare.
Only two days into the new Congress, Republicans have already begun the process of repealing Obamacare. And Vice President-elect Mike Pence went to Capitol Hill to meet with Republican leaders on Wednesday to discuss repeal strategy.
No replacement plan in sight
However, despite the fact that Republicans have promised for nearly seven years that they will have a replacement plan for Obamacare, even top Republican Party leaders are acknowledging that they have no plan for replacing Obamacare.
In their letter, the American Medical Association issued a strong warning to Republicans not to repeal the law until they could “lay out for the American people, in reasonable detail, what will replace current policies.”
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The letter continued, “Patients and other stakeholders should be able to clearly compare current policy to new proposals so they can make informed decisions about whether it represents a step forward in the ongoing process of health reform.”
Don’t reduce the record number of Americans currently insured through Obamacare
The letter from the American Medical Association also implored Republicans not to take any actions that would reduce the number of Americans with health insurance that is currently at an all-time high. “In considering opportunities to make coverage more affordable and accessible to all Americans, it is essential that gains in the number of Americans with health insurance coverage be maintained,” the letter said.
Fix don’t repeal
The American Medical Association is urging Republicans to fix Obamacare rather than throw out the entire program. “We … recognize that the ACA is imperfect and there a number of issues that need to be addressed,” the letter said. However, the letter went on to say that, “patients and other stakeholders should be able to clearly compare current policy to new proposals so they can make informed decisions about whether it represents a step forward in the ongoing process of health reform.”
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