NLIRH Tells Congress On Health Care Bill: “Don’t Even Go There!”

Washington, D.C. — As Congress scrambles to find votes for their “American Health Care Act” (AHCA), the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is urging voters to call Congress and to tell them, “No. Don’t even go there.”

After failing last month to get enough votes for a horrible bill that would have stripped an estimated 24 million people from essential healthcare coverage, defunded Planned Parenthood, and rolled back significant gains including expanded Medicaid coverage gained under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), House leaders are appealing to conservatives in their ranks with a new provision that makes the measure even worse.

The new amendment would give states the option to further roll back Essential Health Benefits that were included in Obamacare, removing guaranteed access to key health care services such as maternity and newborn care. The particular harms to women of color were outlined in a recent fact sheet by the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH), National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, and the National Partnership for Women & Families.

Jessica González-Rojas, NLIRH executive director, issued the following statement:

“If members of Congress thought the last bill was bad, the proposed amendment makes the bill even worse. Instead of improving coverage and affordability — among the major flaws of the original bill — this revision allows states to lower the standards for coverage.

“In case lawmakers have forgotten, I want to remind them of some of the great harms that would be inflicted on women of color under their failed bill, including lost access to services that combat pervasive health disparities, such as contraceptives, screening for breast and cervical cancer and well-woman visits. Right now, 17 million Latinos/as have coverage for preventive services without cost sharing, and between 2012 and 2014, the uninsured rate among Latinas fell by nine percent. Cervical cancer is highly preventable, but Latinas have the highest rates of cervical cancer and coverage for preventive services without cost sharing removes barriers to care.

“We urge people to call Congress at 866-426-2631and tell members, “Don’t even go there. Stop playing politics with our lives. We need better coverage, not less.”

For more information on NLIRH’s fight for health, dignity and justice, visit us at latinainstitute.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @NLIRH.

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The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is the only national reproductive justice organization dedicated to building Latina power to advance health, dignity, and justice for 28 million Latinas, their families, and communities in the United States through leadership development, community mobilization, policy advocacy, and strategic communications.