Federal Appeals Court Ruling Puts Millions of Californians At Risk of Losing Life-Saving Health Care Coverage

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- "The latest judicial volley in the ongoing legal battles over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) threatens to unravel the tremendous strides California has made in expanding access to care to the most vulnerable among us, and casts an ominous shadow over the lives of real people in communities throughout the Golden State," said Carmela Coyle, President & CEO of the California Hospital Association.

"Yesterday's ruling by the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals strikes at the heart of everything the ACA has accomplished in California:

• 5.1 million people who now have access to doctors, hospitals, medicine and other services, including 3.7 million low-income individuals for whom health care had previously been out-of-reach
• Coverage for hundreds of thousands of people who had previously been excluded due to a pre-existing condition
• Expansion of health care services, including preventive screenings, to underserved communities

"As California's hospital leaders have stated countless times, the ACA has literally been a lifeline for millions of our neighbors and friends," Coyle noted. "That's why we are reaffirming our support of the ACA, and will vigorously oppose any efforts to undo the tremendous gains our state has made in ensuring that all Californians receive the care they need and deserve."

SOURCE California Hospital Association