Patient Groups Urge Supreme Court to Swiftly Take Up Health Care Case

Washington, D.C.—January 15, 2020— Patient and health advocacy groups representing millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions will file an amicus curiae or friend of the court brief today urging the U.S. Supreme Court to immediately take up the case of Texas v. United States. The case is the latest court challenge to the health care law known as the Affordable Care Act. The groups, which include the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society along with more than a dozen others, cite the detrimental impacts and uncertainty patients would face with a prolonged delay should the case be left at the lower court level.

Following is the groups’ joint statement:

“Millions of Americans who rely on the health care law and its critical patient protections cannot wait for the lower court to determine which, if any, parts of the Affordable Care Act should remain in place. This ongoing uncertainty threatens their ability to obtain and afford care necessary for their health and wellbeing. It also threatens to erode the insurance markets which need clear, stable rules on which to price and offer coverage.

“Should the Supreme Court decline to take action, millions of people with pre-existing health conditions will have to worry whether they’ll again be denied coverage if the law is overturned. Millions of Americans who rely on federal tax credits to help pay for their health insurance will be unsure if they’ll have affordable coverage in the years to come. And health plans could raise their premiums in response to the uncertainty in the market.

“The health care law has expanded access to comprehensive health coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans. The connection between health coverage and health outcomes is clear. Without affordable, comprehensive health insurance patients, survivors, and their families risk later stage diagnoses—if they can get care at all—and an increased risk of serious financial strain. Americans need to know what coverage options will be available as soon as possible, which underscores the need for an expedited final ruling in this case.

“On behalf of all the patients we represent, we urge the Supreme Court to swiftly resolve this case and provide the clarity and certainty people and the health care system need.”

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The groups on the brief include the American Cancer Society, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Epilepsy Foundation, Global Healthy Living Foundation, Hemophilia Federation of America, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National Hemophilia Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Organization for Rare Disorders, The Kennedy Forum and United Way Worldwide.