Physicians Write Your Federal Lawmakers- Tax Reform Proposals Harm Access to Care

From the APA:

The Senate's proposal would repeal the Affordable Care Act's Individual Mandate:

Repeal of the individual mandate will increase the number of uninsured Americans by 4 million in 2019 and by 13 million in 2027.

This will likely cause health insurance premiums to rise by an estimated 10 percent, putting coverage and access out of reach for more low- and middle-income Americans.

The House's proposal seeks to end the tax deduction for medical expenses: This deduction allows some of our patients to off-set the costs of appointments, stays in inpatient psychiatric or substance use facilities, transportation to mental health treatment and medication.

Both proposals could cause cuts to Medicare and Medicaid: It is estimated that the current proposals could add as much as $1.5 trillion to the deficit. While neither tax bill touches these programs directly, lawmakers may turn to these lifesaving programs, and other safety-net programs, to pay for the tax cuts and reduce the deficit.