Washington, DC — Today, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals asked for further briefing on the standing of the House of Representatives and intervenor states to appeal the Texas lawsuit. This development comes just two weeks before the Fifth Circuit is slated to hear oral arguments in Donald Trump’s lawsuit that would destroy the health care of millions of Americans, end protections for 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and plunge our health care system into chaos. In response, Protect Our Care chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
“Make no mistake, the threat posed by President Trump’s lawsuit to destroy health care is real, ongoing and puts American lives at risk. Trump’s lawsuit was designed solely to terminate protections millions of Americans rely on every day. It is a politically-motivated attack on health care that will raise costs, strip coverage, and hurt millions of people with pre-existing conditions. Democrats in Congress and in states across the country have made clear they won’t stand for these attacks on our health care and are fighting on behalf of the American people. Every day this lawsuit inches closer to a decision, Republicans who refuse to denounce it bear more and more responsibility for Trump’s reckless attempt destroy health care.”
If the Affordable Care Act is struck down:
- GONE: Protections for 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. The uninsured rate will increase by 65 percent.
- GONE: Medicaid expansion, which covers 17 million people.
- GONE: Nearly 12 million seniors will have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare ‘donut hole’ will be reopened.
- GONE: 2.3 million adult children will no longer be able to stay on their parents’ insurance.
- GONE: Insurance companies will be able to charge women 50 percent more than men.
- GONE: Financial assistance that helps 9 million people purchase health care in the marketplace.
- GONE: Key support for rural hospitals. As Americans lose coverage, already struggling hospitals will be hit even harder as their costs increase.
- GONE: Ban on insurance companies having lifetime caps on coverage.
- GONE: Requirements that insurance companies cover prescription drugs and maternity care.