Update: This bill was withdrawn from consideration on March 24, 2017
House Republicans released their proposal this week to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The two bills, one from the House Energy & Commerce Committee and another from the House Ways & Means Committee, are together referred to as the American Health Care Act (AHCA).
The ACA had a significant impact in the cancer community by prioritizing prevention, making comprehensive health care coverage more affordable for many Americans, and protecting consumers from denials and higher costs based on pre-existing conditions like a cancer diagnosis. The policy changes proposed in the AHCA – including repealing the Prevention and Public Health Fund, changing how tax credits to purchase private insurance are structured and how Medicaid is funded, and requiring continuous coverage – also have the potential to impact cancer prevention and control in major ways. Click here to compare specific pieces of the ACA, like the individual mandate and premium subsidies, to the AHCA. You can also find your county on this map to see how average tax credits in your area under the ACA would compare to those under the AHCA.
Supporting cancer prevention and increasing access to quality cancer care through affordable public and private health insurance are priorities of both the WI Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan 2015-2020 and the WI Cancer Council Policy Agenda. The WI Comprehensive Cancer Control Program will continue to monitor proposed changes as they relate to these priorities and will provide updates and resources as more information is available.