In the middle of a global pandemic, the federal administration is still trying to take down the Affordable Care Act, wasting time and money on a lawsuit designed to collapse our health care system. 

It’s hard for us to imagine, too. 

Here is the latest on what is happening, provided by Community Catalyst: 

The Health Care Repeal Lawsuit, also known as California v. Texas (formerly Texas v. US) is set to be heard by the Supreme Court in the coming months. If successful, it will end the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) and all of the consumer protections it provides, leaving millions of Americans without preventive care, treatment options or long-term coverage in the wake of COVID-19. 

On Thursday, June 25, the Trump administration and Republican leaders in 18 states will file their opening briefs with the Supreme Court, rehashing the same dangerous, backward arguments they’ve made for years in their efforts to wrest health care coverage and economic security away from millions of people across the country.

21 state Attorneys General, led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and including Washington’s Bob Ferguson, are working to defend the ACA and protect our nation from the administration’s efforts to tear down our health care infrastructure during a pandemic.

If the Department of Justice (DOJ) and plaintiff states are successful, over 20 million will lose coverage outright. Key protections will be stripped away from 135 million people who have pre-existing conditions, including people who have recently been infected with COVID. 

Those most affected by the elimination of the ACA will be those most at risk in the current crisis, including people of color, older adults, and people with health conditions that make them more vulnerable to COVID-19. Many of the essential workers who are risking their lives to keep our vital infrastructure functioning depend on the ACA for their coverage, as do many health care providers who will face even greater financial difficulty if the ACA is repealed.  

NoHLA is proud to have signed onto the National Women’s Law Center amicus brief, which explains what’s at stake for women and their families if the ACA is dismantled. 

We’d like to thank Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson for his participation in the case, joining the Attorneys General from 20 other states to defend the ACA.