Advocacy Alert: Action Required September 20, 2017 by Kylie Karley Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Dean Heller (R-NV), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) recently introduced legislation known as Graham-Cassidy to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The hope of these lawmakers was to hold yet another vote on repeal before October 1st, so a simple majority (51 votes) is all that is needed to pass the measure. Unfortunately, the Graham-Cassidy proposal is more extreme than other recent Senate proposals and would be particularly harmful to individuals and families impacted by chronic health conditions. Specifically, the new proposal would: Allow insurance companies to charge more for those individuals with pre-existing health conditions Allow states to more easily opt out of requiring quality health insurance options and comprehensive benefits Expand the ability for individuals to purchase low quality health insurance benefits in lieu of more comprehensive coverage Eliminate the individual and employer mandates Dramatically reduce the federal commitment to Medicaid expansion Eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund While this effort was initially dismissed by many as a “Hail Mary,” it has quickly gained support and could be voted on next week. In order to protect patients with chronic conditions, please contact your Senators and ask them to oppose the Graham-Cassidy repeal and replace proposal. Take Action Contact the health Legislative Assistants (LAs) in the offices of your two U.S. Senators and use the message below for a voicemail or brief e-mail. The contact information for your Senate offices can be found at Senate.gov. Template For Emailing / Calling / Faxing Your Senators Dear _______, My name is _________ and I am a constituent from [home town]. On behalf of patients with chronic health conditions, I urge the Senator to oppose the Graham-Cassidy healthcare proposal. This proposal would be absolutely devastating to individuals and families affected by chronic illness that rely on access to quality, affordable health care. [Explain a little about your particular situation] Thank you for your consideration of my request. Please tell me how you have responded to my request. Sincerely, [Name] [Address]