37 Patient Groups Speak Out Against Recent Ruling in Texas v. US

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Ruling invalidates critical health care protections for millions of people with pre-existing conditions

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Dec 17, 2018, 16:10 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Following Friday's ruling in the case of Texas v. United States, which found all of the Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional, 37 patient groups, including March of Dimes, issued the following statement:

"Our organizations, which collectively represent millions of patients, are disturbed by the troubling ruling that invalidates the entirety of the Affordable Care Act. This ruling eliminates the critical protections for people with pre-existing conditions who need adequate, accessible and affordable health care to live longer, healthier lives.

"In eliminating the ACA penalty for individuals who are not insured, Congress did not intend that individuals could once again be charged more or denied coverage for their health conditions, face limits on their care, be rejected entirely by health insurers, or be subject once again to annual and lifetime coverage caps. The implications of this decision are serious for both the insurance markets and the millions of people who rely on them.

"It is important for patients and consumers to realize that current law remains in place pending appeal. People who have purchased healthcare for 2019 from healthcare.gov will remain covered, and the millions of Americans who have coverage through Medicaid expansion will also remain covered.

"Our communities know the importance of insurance coverage and are all too familiar with the harm that will come if insurers were to return to coverage and pricing practices that discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions and fail to cover the services they need.

"When the ruling is appealed, we hope that the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will protect health care for people with chronic diseases."

Adult Congenital Heart Foundation
Alpha-1 Foundation
ALS Association
American Diabetes Association
American Heart Association
American Liver Foundation
American Lung Association
Arthritis Foundation
Cancer Support Community
COPD Foundation
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Epilepsy Foundation
Family Voices
Futures Without Violence
Global Healthy Living Foundation
Hemophilia Federation of America
Immune Deficiency Foundation
JDRF
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Lutheran Services in America
March of Dimes
Muscular Dystrophy Association
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
National Health Council
National Hemophilia Foundation
National Kidney Foundation
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Organization for Rare Disorders
National Patient Advocate Foundation
National Psoriasis Foundation
Susan G. Komen
The Kennedy Forum
United Way Worldwide
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
Pulmonary Hypertension Association