Fifteen nonpartisan patient and provider groups representing millions of Americans issued the following statement on July 18 on the Senate’s proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

Any attempt to repeal the ACA without replacing it with equal or better coverage will leave our health care system in shambles. If the existing law is abolished, 32 million Americans could lose their insurance coverage in the next decade. This approach is completely unacceptable for the patients we represent.

Many of these Americans are low-income or struggle every day with pre-existing health conditions, and have come to rely on the coverage the law has provided. The ACA is not perfect, however, and we agree that long-term improvements need to be made, along with immediate action to stabilize the marketplaces.

When both sides of the aisle work together, they have always found the most durable and long-lasting solutions to the problems facing our country. We implore lawmakers to sit down in a bipartisan fashion and draft a new bill that will strengthen and expand access to affordable and adequate health care coverage.

Singed,

American Diabetes Association

American Heart Association

American Lung Association

ALS Association

Arthritis Association

Cancer Action Network

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Family Voices

March of Dimes

Muscular Dystrophy Association

National Health Council

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Organization for Rare Diseases

Volunteers of America

Women Heart