The National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC), an alliance of leading health care provider, payer, and consumer organizations, called on the Senate to pursue an alternative, bipartisan path forward on health care following the House of Representatives’ recent passage of HR 1628, the American Health Care Act (AHCA).
In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, NCHC calls for rapid legislative action to stabilize existing coverage and curb costs, along with a longer-term effort to craft a bipartisan compromise that improves on current law.
“The fundamental problem that needs to be addressed is the rising cost of care for families as well as the government,” stated NCHC President and CEO John Rother. “Congress should be tackling that now, even as we work toward common ground on health care reform.”
Extensions of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and primary care programs, mandatory appropriations for cost-sharing reductions (CSR’s), pharmaceutical reforms, Medicare chronic care reform, and stable funding for prevention are among the specific recommendations laid out in the letter.
To read the full letter, click here.