The Affordable Care Act is once again being threatened.
On Wednesday, a federal judge in Texas heard a case that is being brought forward by GOP lawmakers in 20 states. The lawmakers are hoping the judge will block Obamacare immediately before the case is decided.
“New York has a lot to lose if this lawsuit goes forward,” Elisabeth Benjamin, the Vice President for Health Initiatives at the Community Service Society of New York, said.
The case started back in February when GOP officials in Texas and 19 other states sued the federal government and asked the courts to invalidate the Affordable Care Act.
Their argument is that when Congress eliminated the penalty for not having health insurance, they rendered the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional.
The Trump Administration is partly backing them up.
The Department of Justice has come out saying that while the entire thing is not unconstitutional parts are, including the part that protects people with pre-existing conditions.
“If it moves forward, it would really threaten the stability of our insurance market.”
Health experts worry that if the Affordable Care Act were to be eliminated, around 17 million people would lose insurance in the first year, premiums would go up, and pre-existing conditions will no longer be covered.
“You’re a woman who’s had a C-section, we’re not covering you for maternity anymore, that’s called a pre-existing condition exclusion. So that’s what we worry about.”
GOP officials are hoping that the judge will halt Obamacare now, before the case is decided, prompting more concern for the stability of the health insurance market.
“Shutting down the affordable care act before the case proceeds would throw the whole health insurance system into chaos,” Leonardo Cuello, Director of Health Policy at the National Health Law Program, said.
The Texas Attorney General said on Wednesday that everyone should be free to make their own health care choices and choose their doctor, which is why they are fighting to end Obamacare.