FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 8, 2019
Contact:
Paul Gibbs
801-864-8396
SALT LAKE—
On Wednesday, July 10th, Utah health care advocate and UHPP board member, Paul Gibbs, will be testifying in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on the importance of the protections of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The hearing is titled "Trump Administration's Attack on the ACA: Reversal in Court Case Threatens Health Care For Millions of Americans"
In this hearing, the committee will be discussing the pending
Texas v United States
case, in which the Trump administration is calling for the reversal of the entire Affordable Care Act.
This case (supported by Attorney General Reyes) would have a devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of Utahns, including Paul Gibbs and his family. Paul has been a tireless advocate for Medicaid Expansion and other health care issues in Utah for more than five years. Paul was born with a chronic kidney disease, which led nine surgeries as a child, and a kidney transplant in 2008. Additionally, Paul's infant son was also born with a kidney condition, and required surgery at just three months old. Were the ACA to be overturned, Paul and his son could be locked out of health insurance due to their pre-existing conditions. They could face lifetime and annual limits on their insurance coverage. They could struggle to find a plan to cover their needs without the ACA's 10 essential health benefits. The protections of the Affordable Care Act are vital to their health and to their futures.
Statewide, More than 194,000 Utahns get their insurance through the healthcare.gov individual market, and approximately another 30,000 have gained coverage through Utah's partial Medicaid expansion. A new report estimates that
102,000 Utahns
would be uninsured if the Texas v. US case is successful, however this estimate includes some assumptions, and the actual number losing coverage would likely be much larger.
Utahns with pre-existing conditions would be locked out, or priced out, of access to health insurance. Estimates vary on how many people have pre-existing conditions, but the Department of Health and Human Services has stated that these rules could impact
50% of Americans
. Further, Utah's economy would lose
$991 million dollars, and 14,000 jobs
.
"I'm excited and overwhelmed to have this opportunity to be part of this discussion on a national level. This is an issue that's both very important and incredibly personal to me and my family. I hope I can represent both the patients and healthcare advocates of Utah effectively and help people understand how badly people need the patient protections and other provisions of this law," said Paul Gibbs.
The hearing will be
Wednesday, July 10th, 10 AM eastern
, 8 AM mountain time
More information is available here:
