AARP and 7 Major Groups Urge the Senate to 'Protect Patients First'

AARP joined forces Tuesday with seven other major organizations to launch a public tour imploring the Senate to scrap a health care bill passed by the House of Representatives and instead draft new legislation that protects patient access to affordable care.

The “Protect Patients First” tour began Thursday in Cleveland, to be followed by a similar event in Reno, Nev., and others in Colorado and West Virginia. All will take place at local medical facilities.

“Health care remains a deeply personal concern for American families, and together we must seek solutions that help make health care more affordable,” said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond. “We’re pleased to join these groups and raise our voices to call on the Senate to move in a different direction so that we can improve health care for Americans.”

The united front brings together AARP, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, the Federation of American Hospitals and the March of Dimes.

The tour aims to inform the public and help persuade senators to reject the American Health Care Act (AHCA) that passed the House on May 4. Under the AHCA, insurers would be able to charge Americans ages 50 to 64 a significantly higher rate than younger consumers — an “age tax” — and it would eliminate the ban that prevents insurers from assessing higher rates on people with preexisting medical conditions. The groups want the Senate to start fresh with new legislation that protects patients from losing affordable insurance coverage.

The Cleveland event featured stories and comments from patients and other stakeholders as part of discussions moderated by David Barbe, M.D., the incoming president of the American Medical Association.

“Improving the health of our nation means increasing access to high-quality, affordable health insurance coverage, which is why the reduction of coverage in the American Health Care Act is of grave concern,” Barbe said. “We urge members of Congress to 'protect patients first' and pursue a bipartisan approach to reforming our health care system. Patients continue to benefit from the gains in coverage and consumer protections achieved in recent years, and we oppose legislation that diminish these gains.”