Dozens of Briefs Filed to Protect Health Care — But Tillis & Burr Are Nowhere to be Found

In ACA Lawsuit, Dozens of Briefs Filed to Protect Health Care — But Tillis & Burr Are Nowhere to be Found

As Trump Administration Doubles Down on Efforts to Repeal the Health Care Law, A Bipartisan Coalition of Lawmakers, Patient Advocates, Insurance Companies, Economists, Legal and Health Experts Have Joined Forces to Save the ACA

500,000 North Carolinians Would Lose Health Coverage if the ACA Were Repealed, Still Senators Tillis & Burr Have No Plan for North Carolinians’ Health Care

Raleigh, N.C. – This week, dozens of patient groups, economists, health care organizations, legal groups, and U.S. senators submitted amicus briefs in support of the Affordable Care Act lawsuit in front of the Supreme Court challenging the ACA which threatens health care protections for thousands of North Carolinians. Conspicuously absent, though, are Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr, who have both voted multiple times to repeal the ACA, increase the cost of health care and gut protections for North Carolinians with pre-existing conditions.

If the lawsuit succeeds at repealing health care, prescription drug prices would increase and insurance companies could deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, even including coronavirus.

Piedmont Rising Executive Director, Casey Wilkinson, released the following statement in response:

“If Senators Tillis and Burr have their way, and the lawsuit is successful, stripping hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians of their health care would do nothing but unleash chaos. If the ACA were struck down, insurance companies would be able to deny coverage to millions more North Carolinians with pre-existing conditions.

“As we face this global pandemic, it has never been more important to protect our health care, yet Senators Tillis and Burr continue to ignore the damage of overturning our health care laws and letting insurance companies raise costs and deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. It’s time for them to put partisanship aside and protect North Carolinians’ health care. Senator Tillis and Senator Burr should start by immediately calling for the administration to drop this irresponsible lawsuit and future attempts to dismantle the health care law before it’s too late.

Background:

• Last week, the Trump administration confirmed its position to encourage the Supreme Court  to eliminate the ACA. “We want to terminate health care under Obamacare,” Trump said. “Obamacare – we run it really well...But running it great, it’s still lousy health care.”

• More than 600,000 North Carolinians have gained health care coverage as a result of the Affordable Care Act since its implementation, and would lose coverage if the health care law were repealed.

• Over 1.7 million non-elderly North Carolinians, 28 percent of the state, have a pre-existing condition that would have allowed insurance companies to deny them coverage before the Affordable Care Act.

• Senator Tillis has said that he supports “anything that ultimately takes” the Affordable Care Act “off the table,” — a slap in the face to millions of North Carolinians with pre-existing conditions who are also at risk.

Media Contact:

Jessica Coscia

jessica@piedmontrising.org

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About Piedmont Rising

Piedmont Rising is a 501 (c)4 issue advocacy organization built by and for North Carolinians to advocate for lower insurance premiums and prescription drug costs and to ensure that more people have access to safe and affordable health care. Through grassroots organizing, education, and engagement, we are amplifying our health care stories and holding our elected officials accountable to the people, and issues they were elected to represent. www.piedmontrising.org