Letter to the Editor: The fight to save the Affordable Care Act

To the Editor:

The fight to save the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and affordable healthcare isn’t over for Iowans. This time the Trump Administration is trying to repeal the ACA through the courts. The case is currently before the 5th Circuit of Appeals and the health care of hundreds of thousands of Iowans hangs in the balance.

If the lawsuit is successful, Iowans will be affected by higher premiums, loss of protections on pre-existing conditions, and a rise in prescription drug charges. We cannot return to a time when women pay more, seniors pay more, and young people are no longer covered by their parents’ insurance. The health care of 187,000 Iowans is at risk.

Senator Joni Ernst and Senator Chuck Grassley both voted for the tax bill which forms the basis for the lawsuit. Ernst was a key vote in the bill’s passage which allowed the lawsuit to move forward. Senator Ernst also refused to support authorizing the Senate legal counsel to intervene in the lawsuit and defend the Affordable Care Act.

If Senator Ernst wants to protect Iowans with pre-existing conditions, she needs to start putting people before party and stand up for Iowans who deserve and need affordable health care.

Karen Pratte
Waterville