The American Health Care Act Does Not Improve Access To Health Care For Women With Heart Disease

WASHINGTON, March 8, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease believes that all women should have access to affordable, high quality health care. If women with heart disease receive the prevention, care, treatment and rehabilitation they need, they will be healthier and live longer, and avoidable costs will be minimized.

On behalf of the 43 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease, WomenHeart is deeply concerned that The American Health Care Act (AHCA) will not improve access to health care for this population.

Introduced as a replacement for the Affordable Care Act, the AHCA will provide significantly less financial support to older Americans – a population disproportionally impacted by heart disease – for purchasing individual insurance plans through government-run exchanges, and for paying premiums.   

WomenHeart is also concerned about other provisions in the Act that would negatively impact women living with or at risk for heart disease, including:

• a 30% premium hike for those who are without coverage for 63 days, which would financially penalize those seeking care;
• the phase-out of the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, which would reduce access for the most vulnerable populations;
• elimination of the Public Health and Prevention Fund, which would erase 12 percent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) budget, impacting state and local public health efforts to fight preventable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

"Heart disease is the number one killer of women in America. Access to primary, specialty, subspecialty, and public health care, with a full range of essential health benefits, is essential to reduce this national health issue,", says Mary McGowan, CEO of WomenHeart.  "Congress needs to go back to the drawing board to craft a bill that provides coverage for quality, affordable health care."

About WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is the nation's first and still only patient centered organization serving the 43 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease – the leading cause of death in women. WomenHeart is solely devoted to advancing women's heart health through advocacy, community education, and the nation's only patient support network for women living with heart disease. WomenHeart is both a coalition and a community of thousands of members nationwide, including women heart patients and their families, physicians, and health advocates, all committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives. To receive a free online heart health action kit or to donate, visit www.womenheart.org.

SOURCE WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

Related Links

http://www.womenheart.org