Investors and public health groups voice support for Affordable Care Act
Letter to Trump and Congress cites expanded coverage for millions of Americans in call to improve rather than repeal the landmark health care law.
NEW YORK, NY, THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017 – Amid calls from some lawmakers and the President-elect for an immediate repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a coalition of 119 faith- and values-based investors and public health groups strongly defended the gains made under the law and urged restraint.
In a letter sent today to President-elect Trump and members of Congress, the group, led by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, praised the expansion of quality and affordable health insurance under the ACA to more than 20 million previously uninsured Americans, and warned that a repeal of the health care law would have a “destabilizing effect on jobs, businesses and our economy, and would further jeopardize the health and financial security of millions of Americans”.
While urging that further reforms are still needed to rein in health care costs, the groups stressed that they believed these improvements should be built off of the existing framework of the ACA and encouraged Congress not to abandon the progress made thus far through its implementation.
Said Roslyn M. Brock of Bon Secours Health Care System, “At Bon Secours we believe that health care is a human right that should be affordable and accessible to all, especially the economically poor and vulnerable. We all must work together to reduce health care costs and further extend coverage. We are convinced the Affordable Care Act is a strong foundation on which to build a more humane world."
The letter specifically asks Congress to:
1) Preserve the Affordable Care Act.
2) Work collaboratively with all key stakeholders to improve the ACA and better rein in health care costs.
3) Make the fiscal and political commitment necessary to expand quality health care coverage to all Americans.
Said Josh Zinner, CEO of ICCR, “The ACA is largely responsible for extending health care coverage to over 20 million previously uninsured Americans – by any standard a remarkable accomplishment that should be celebrated. While we know there is still work to be done, particularly in controlling costs, we urge Congress and the incoming administration to work with key stakeholders to improve the law rather than un-do the significant progress that has been made.”
About the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR)
Celebrating its 46th year, ICCR is the pioneer coalition of shareholder advocates who view the management of their investments as a catalyst for social change. Its 300 member organizations comprise faith communities, socially responsible asset managers, unions, pensions, NGOs and other socially responsible investors with combined assets of over $200 billion. ICCR members engage hundreds of corporations annually in an effort to foster greater corporate accountability on questions such as climate change, corporate water stewardship, sustainable food production, human trafficking and slavery in global supply chains and increased access to financial and health care services for communities in need. www.iccr.org
Contact:
Susana McDermott, Director of Communications, ICCR
212-870-2938
smcdermott@iccr.org