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ACR addresses concerns with Better Care Reconciliation Act
In a statement, Sharad Lakhanpal, MD, MBBS, president of the American College of Rheumatology, addressed the society’s concerns with the discussion draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act introduced by the Senate.
“The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has always stood for affordable and accessible health care coverage for the 54 million Americans living with rheumatic disease,” Lakhanpal said. “We are concerned the discussion draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act introduced by Senate leadership falls short of that goal, and we stand ready to work with the Senate leadership to address these concerns.”
While the bill prohibits states opting out of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) community rating requirements, it still allows states to waive the law’s essential health benefits and several consumer protections, which Lakhanpal said could lead to health care coverage becoming unaffordable to patients with pre-existing conditions, including arthritis.
“We propose that moving forward, the Senate should include a special exception from state essential health benefit waivers to protect individuals with chronic conditions from price discrimination,” he said.
Lakhanpal also stated the inclusion of tax credits based on age in the bill does not “go far enough in ensuring individuals living with rheumatic disease will be able to maintain their current level of coverage.”
“While tying tax credits to age would make it easier for older Americans to qualify, the bill also caps them at an income threshold that is lower than the one stipulated by the ACA,” Lakhanpal said. “This would make it more difficult for middle-income Americans to receive the financial support they need to pay for coverage.”
Finally, he noted the inclusion of an appropriation for cost-sharing subsidies through 2019 is “vital to maintaining stability in the individual insurance marketplace and ensure that low-income Americans are afforded smaller out-of-pocket costs.”
“As the Senate moves forward with this legislation, we will continue to assess the bill language and its potential effects, as well as the forthcoming score from the Congressional Budget Office,” Lakhanpal said. “The ACR hopes to work with members of the Senate to address these concerns so that the millions of Americans living with rheumatic diseases can continue to access the care they need.”
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