The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee voted on Thursday to repeal funding tied to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, reports AHA News Now.
In its votes on H.R. 1213 and H.R. 1217, the committee repealed funding to create the state-based health insurance purchasing exchanges and reform's fund for preventative and public health. The vote, along party lines, raised concerns among hospital industry officials.
"Implementation of the ACA will provide access to healthcare to many Americans who do not currently have coverage ... therefore, any effort to deny funding to these exchanges would undermine the effort to insure more Americans," said American Hospital Association Executive Vice President Rick Pollack and Bruce Siegel, chief executive officer of the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems in a letter to subcommittee chairman Rep. Joseph R. Pitts (R-Penn.) and ranking member Rep. Frank Pallone (R-N.J.).
Along with raising concerns about funding for the exchanges, Pollack and Siegel also noted that "enhanced funding for prevention and wellness services is an essential element in achieving the savings potential of coordinated care for achieving better health and healthcare in America."
For more:
- read the AHA News Now article
- read the letter (.pdf)