How Repealing the Affordable Care Act Would Adversely Affect Veterans

Senate Democrats Hold Rally To Oppose GOP's Obamacare Repeal Efforts

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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: A protester holds a sign during a demonstration of Democratic Senators to oppose the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and its replacement on Capitol Hill on June 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Criticism is mounting on the GOP for health care reform legislation being done behind closed doors.

The impact of overturning the Affordable Care Act would reportedly be more far-reaching than imagined. As the tally of daily COVID-19 cases hits record highs in the United States, millions of US citizens are faced with an uncertain possibility: losing health care coverage amid the global pandemic.

Affordable Care Act

Sen. Tom Carper recently spoke about the possible negative effects for veterans when the ACA goes before the US Supreme Court.

According to Carper, the revoke of the ACA without a replacement could negatively impact over a third of Americans. He stated that 130 million people across the nation have underlying conditions and most of them are veterans. "And the idea that those veterans and frankly the other millions of people who have a preexisting condition somehow they are not going to be able to get coverage or have to pay a lot more for that coverage, that's just wrong," reported Delaware Public Media.

Health coverage losses among non-elderly veterans would be concentrated among older, less-healthy, and low-income veterans under legislation passed by the United States House of Representatives, according to a study.

Congressional proposals to revoke or replace the federal ACA would reportedly probably increase the demand for the Veterans Affairs medical system's services while also increasing the total of veterans who have no insurance coverage.

Major General (Ret.) Frank Vavala spoke about the detrimental effect of overturning the ACA could have on US veterans. Vavala joined Carper for an online discussion on the subject with the veterans' advocacy group VoteVets on October 16.

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According to Vavala, veterans deserve the best access to quality care as they have risked their lives and risk facing serious health conditions for doing their service, reported WDEL.

Carper remarked the ACA has helped numerous Americans obtain better, more affordable coverage, especially individuals with underlying conditions.

According to a study released by the Department of Veterans Affairs in May, 51% of veterans did not use VA benefits during the year evaluated. The 49% makes up the group who would be distinctively affected by the ACA's revoke.

A number of veterans have raised concerns about how Judge Amy Coney Barrett could rule on the ACA hearings.

Carper stated veterans may risk losing protections under the Affordable Care Act including lowered prescription drug costs and coverage for underlying conditions.

Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments on California v. Texas -- a lawsuit that challenges the ACA and threatens to remove health care coverage and patient protections from families throughout the US, including millions of veterans who have selflessly devoted themselves to the nation.

If federal judges repeal the ACA, more military veterans would lose their health insurance than the total number of individuals currently at service in the Marine Corps and US Army combined.

By 2026, in the event that the overturn pushes through, an estimated 690,000 veterans would become entirely uninsured, as indicated by a new analysis of the group Families USA, reported Public News Service.