Commentary: WASHINGTON—NEA President Lily Eskelsen García issued the following statement regarding the Republican leadership plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
“It’s time for the Republican leadership to come clean with the American people. Repealing the ACA will harm our students and their families by forcing cuts to critical programs, reducing financial support for lower-income Americans, and taxing the middle class. Bottom line, working Americans will pay more for less coverage while insurance executives and the wealthy get handouts.
“The ACA expanded coverage to more than 20 million previously uninsured Americans, dramatically reducing the number of uninsured children in this country. The Republican leadership plan will reverse those gains, leading millions to potentially lose coverage while making drastic cuts in Medicaid funding, benefits, and eligible beneficiaries, and forcing some states to consider diverting money from education to health care.
“Medicaid’s support for school-based health services will also suffer under the Republican leadership plan. Mental health care, vision and hearing screenings, diabetes and asthma management are just some of what school children stand to lose.
“We will continue to defend the ACA and Medicaid, our country’s health care safety nets, and quality, affordable coverage for children and working families. It’s time for Congress to do the same and look out for students and ordinary Americans.”
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers. Learn more at www.nea.org.