Repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a priority for President Donald Trump and right-wing members of Congress, will have a particularly devastating impact on women.
A report by the National Women’s Law Center spells out just how many women could be hurt.
“Any repeal of the ACA or changes to the Medicaid program threaten the important gains women have made in obtaining quality, affordable health coverage that allows them to stay healthy and economically secure,” the report said.
Women made substantial progress under the ACA, both through affordable insurance plans that were made available to millions of uninsured women and families and through patient protections extended to those who already received coverage through their employers. ACA – also known as Obamacare – made sure that women weren’t charged more than men for their insurance plans and weren’t charged co-pays for vital preventive care measures such as mammograms.
How much women will lose through a repeal of the ACA – and how many women will lose coverage altogether – depends partly on where they live. That’s because Medicaid was expanded under the ACA to allow states to increase coverage to more people under 65 years of age, says the Women’s Law Center’s report. “The vast majority – about 5 million – of women ages 18-64 who have gained health coverage live in a state that expanded Medicaid,” it says.
So far, 31 states have expanded Medicaid coverage. With the ACA’s repeal, or if Congress limits the number of Medicaid recipients, women stand to lose their health care coverage. Repealing the ACA and reducing Medicaid coverage could “threaten the health and economic security of 7.8 million women,” the Center said.
Congress has yet to announce an official repeal plan. House Speaker Paul Ryan recently issued an outline of such a plan, which would not guarantee coverage for those who rely on the ACA to purchase health insurance, and could even raise taxes on middle class families. For years, right-wing lawmakers have also been promising to replace the ACA. But a replacement proposal has yet to materialize.
It’s not just women, of course, who will lose out if Congress gets rid of ACA. Repealing the historic law could cause nearly 30 million Americans to lose their insurance in 2019, according to an Urban Institute report.
AFSCME and our allies around the country are working hard to block Ryan’s devastating health care agenda. We will make every effort to stop the repeal of the ACA. Learn more here.