CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF A FULL TIME WORKER

Requiring employers of a certain size to offer health insurance to those who work at least 30 hours (the employer mandate) is an important step to expand health coverage for working people. Raising the number of hours to 40 will lower the number of employees who are protected.

Although repeal likely wont pass the Senate and President Obama will veto it if it does, such votes will be staged in 2015 for show. Another possibility is removing the requirement that everyone carry health coverage, which is necessary to keep insurance costs down.

TOTAL REPEAL OF THE ACA OR OF THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE

REPEAL THE MEDICAL DEVICE TAX

This 2.3% sales tax on medical devices applies to everything from surgical gloves to defibrillators. Repeal would result in $29 billion less in federal revenue over 10 years to fund the ACAs coverage expansions. This is one of the most profitable sectors of the health care industry.

LOWER SUBSIDIES FOR HEALTH COVERAGE

Many consumers already have problems affording health insurance premiums. Any significant cuts to premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions will cause many consumers to either drop their coverage or not use it when theyre sick.

ADD A NEW COPPER PLAN

Coverage offered on the new ACA marketplaces is divided into four metal tiers that have different levels of premiums and cost-sharing levels: platinum plans (paying on average 90% of medical expenses), gold (80%), silver (70%) and bronze (60%). Creating new copper plans (only 50%) will expose consumers to thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket costs if they get sick or injured.

MAKE CHANGES TO MEDICARE AND MEDICAID

Some ideas include privatizing Medicare, raising the eligibility age to 67, raising premiums and co-pays for middle-income beneficiaries and taxing top-level Medicare supplemental plans. As for Medicaid, some have proposed to block-grant or cap Medicaid funding to states, leaving them holding the bag.

CUT OR END FUNDING FOR CERTAIN ACA PROGRAMS

Republicans might go after the funding of certain ACA programs. One possibility is the ACA Prevention and Public Health Fund, which supports programs like community and clinical prevention, immunizations and health screenings.

PROPOSE REPUBLICAN ALTERNATIVES TO THE ACA

Some Republicans have made proposals that pretend to advance the broad goals of the ACA: they say they want repeal and replace the law. Examples are: allowing people to purchase junk insurance across state lines, offering health savings accounts with high deductibles and limiting medical malpractice awards. These proposals dont address the concerns that led to passage of the law.

RESTRICT IMMIGRANTS ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE

Congress is considering legislation to overturn President Obamas recent executive action allowing certain immigrants to stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation. A major positive effect of the Obama action is additional New Yorkers are now considered legal residents and eligible for Medicaid. Republican members of the State Legislature may try to capitalize on the controversy by limiting Medicaid funding.

CHIP FUNDING WILL EXPIRE IN 2015 IF NOT EXTENDED

Congress must continue to fund the Childrens Health Insurance Program called Child Health Plus in New York beyond September 30, when funding runs out. Without it, over 500,000 New York children under the age of 19 would lose access to affordable insurance coverage.

10 WAYS ACA OPPONENTS MIGHT WANT TO WEAKEN THE LAW

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94 CENTRAL AVE, ALBANY, NY 12210

94 CENTRAL AVE, ALBANY, NY 12210

CITIZEN ACTION OF NEW YORK (518)465-4600

A NEW REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IS DETERMINED TO TAKE AWAY YOUR RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE....WEVE GOT TO FIGHT BACK!

THEY WONT BE SUCCESSFUL IN REPEALING THE ACA, BUT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO WEAKEN THE LAW.

Since the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, the House of Representatives has voted over 50 times to repeal the law.

More than 2 million New Yorkers have enrolled in health coverage through our state insurance marketplace. 89% of them were previously uninsured.

Health premiums have gone down for individuals by more than 50%.

Lifetime and annual limits are now banned.

Millions of New Yorkers now receive preventive services for free, including well-baby visits and reproductive health care.

To get involved in Citizen Actions 2015 ACA Defense Campaign, contact Bob Cohen at bcohen@citizenactionny.org or Mary Clark at cabing@citizenactionny.org.

Join our Rapid Response Campaign: We regularly screen newspapers and the web for attacks on the ACA by New York elected officials and commentators. We will work with you to develop appropriate responses, like letters to the editor, social media messages and speaking out at town hall meetings and other public events.

Arrange to speak about the ACA to community groups, religious organizations and unions to set the record straight.

Meet with, call or email your member of Congress, or contact your representative through social media. The phone number of the Congressional switchboard is (202)-224-3121.

TAKE ACTION!

THE ACA IN NEW YORK

Weve made it pretty clear and Ill make it

clear one more time: If the court does not strike down the entire law, the

House will move to repeal whats left of it.

House Speaker

John Boehner

If I had the ability, Id get rid of it.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell