Carper meets with La Red Health Center officials
The now withdrawn replacement bill for the Affordable Care Act has raised concerns for board members and staff at La Red Health Centers. Officials met March 17, before the bill was withdrawn, with Delaware Sen. Tom Carper to discuss ramifications and possible solutions for problems that are likely to arise if the Affordable Care Act were repealed. CEO Brian Olson said if the proposed healthcare bill were to pass, progress made, based on preventative services, will be discontinued, and uninsured people will end up in emergency rooms.
“President Trump promised better care and lower costs for all Americans, but neither of these promises would come true under the healthcare plan put forth by the GOP,” Carper said during the meeting. “The plan contains provisions that, if enacted, could devastate Americans’ mental health and addiction coverage and care. It decimates Medicaid and will hand control of life-saving treatment decisions back into the hands of the insurers by letting them decide the value of the coverage they offer.”
Carper called repeal of the Affordable Care Act irresponsible and dangerous.
He said after examining the now-defunct plan, the Congressional Budget Office found that 14 million Americans would lose their insurance by 2018, while cuts to Medicaid – the single most important funder of mental health and addiction services in the country – will be $880 billion. Beyond that, Carper said, for those not on Medicaid, the quality of plans wouldl be out of their control – and they could lose substance abuse and mental health benefits altogether.
Carper said the best part of the Affordable Care Act is that it doesn’t just provide care for those who are sick, but it provides services for them to stay well and to prevent the need for hospitalization. “We are trying to better collaborate with providers and learn how it works to deliver better value for patients and better value for taxpayers through yearly physicals and screenings,” Carper said.
After the meeting at La Red, proposed legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act was withdrawn, so the law remains in effect.
