Asthma and allergies are among this country’s most common and costly chronic diseases. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America joined with 200 other organizations to urge the Trump administration to ensure that all patients have affordable health insurance coverage and access to quality care and treatment.
AAFA co-signed a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, asking that he continue the patient protections of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). AAFA is concerned that patients with asthma and allergies continue to have access to health benefits, including coverage for pre-existing conditions; vital therapies; prescription drugs; and preventative health services. Many lawmakers have begun the process to repeal the Affordable Care Act, so AAFA recently posted a Call to Action for anyone interested in contacting members of Congress (your senators and representative) to urge them to protect patients.
The organizations said they support Secretary Price’s goals of:
- Accessibility
- Affordability
- Quality
- Responsiveness
- Choices and transparency
- Innovative patient-centered care
However, while noting that the ACA is not “a perfect law,” the organizations are worried about the loss of patient protections and access to health care. Secretary Price is in charge of fulfilling the President’s executive order that starts to undo the ACA. The goal is to eventually repeal the law.
Some of the patient protections cited by the letter include:
- Insurance companies cannot refuse coverage because of a pre-existing condition
- Insurance companies cannot charge a higher price for insurance because of health status
- An end to lifetime coverage limits
- A cap on annual out-of-pocket costs
- Access to medicines prescribed by health care providers
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