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APA, National Council oppose Graham-Cassidy bill
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The American Psychiatric Association and the National Council for Behavioral Health recently expressed opposition to the Graham-Cassidy bill.
“This legislation, the latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, will lead to millions of Americans losing their health care coverage,” Saul Levin, MD, MPA, CEO and medical director of the APA, said in a press release. “We are particularly concerned that this bill would make drastic cuts to the Medicaid program and rollback expansion, which has allowed 1.3 million Americans with serious mental illness and 2.8 million Americans with substance use disorders to gain coverage for the first time. This bill harms our must vulnerable patients.”
According to Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, the new legislation will:
- Cap federal Medicaid spending at a rate that will grow more slowly than inflation, which could shift costs to states and force them into difficult decisions;
- Repeal Medicaid expansions;
- Eradicate subsidies that maintain affordable insurance;
- Allow states to opt out of coverage for preexisting conditions; and more.
“We implore Senators to focus on the bipartisan efforts underway and ignore this politically driven effort to rush a devastating bill through the Senate without time for debate and consideration of the impact on states and constituents,” Rosenberg said in a press release. “Now is the time to unite across party lines, stand up for what is right and ensure that the millions of Americans facing addiction and mental illness continue to get the care they deserve.”
The APA echoed this bipartisan sentiment.
“The APA is ready to work with members of both parties to craft a bipartisan solution that stabilizes the health insurance market and ensures Americans have access to quality, affordable health care,” Levin said in the release.