Here’s what the lawsuit in front of the United States Supreme Court on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act means in real terms: 3.4 million Virginians are at risk of losing health coverage.
Which is to say, this isn’t just politics.
“Tomorrow, the ACA goes in front of the Supreme Court, facing attacks from President Trump and Republican attorneys general who are playing politics with people’s lives by fighting to dismantle America’s health care system in the middle of a deadly nationwide pandemic,” said Attorney General Mark Herring, who is part of a coalition of 21 attorneys general defending the ACA against a lawsuit filed by the State of Texas and the Trump administration that would dismantle the entire ACA, including its protections for people with preexisting conditions, public health investments, and Medicaid expansion.
If successful, this lawsuit would rescind critical healthcare coverage protections for 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, including 3.4 million Virginians, who would lose their protections, and would allow health insurance companies to deny individuals care or charge more based on their health status.
Herring and his colleagues argue that the ACA is not only legal but is a crucial resource for Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic and recession.
“As attorney general, I have a responsibility to protect all Virginians, and I could not stand by and watch the Trump administration threaten to rip health care away from millions, which is why I stepped in to defend the ACA,” Herring said. “The coronavirus and the uncertainty of the last several months have shown us how incredibly important the Affordable Care Act really is, and I will do everything in my power to fight these attacks and preserve our health care system.”
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