Latest news with #LeslieDach
The Hill
18-04-2025
- Health
- The Hill
SCOTUS to hear ObamaCare free care case
Experts say a Supreme Court case set for Monday puts that free care guarantee at risk. ObamaCare requires insurers to cover, without cost-sharing, more than 100 preventive health services recommended by an outside panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The requirement extends coverage of evidence-based preventive services such as cancer screening, tobacco cessation, contraception and immunizations, without cost-sharing, to more than 150 million people each year. Without the requirement, health plans and employers can pick and choose which preventive services they cover. Cost-sharing will likely deter patients — particularly those of limited means — from scheduling those procedures. 'We know that if costs are reintroduced, people just don't seek care,' said Eric Waskowicz, senior state policy manager at the advocacy group United States of Care. 'And so I think we all have an interest in keeping no cost preventive care in place.' The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case in June. 'The minute that provision gets struck down … we will be back at the mercy of the insurance companies. They'll still get the same premium from you, but they'll offer less services,' said Leslie Dach, executive chair of the Democratic-aligned group Protect Our Care. The lawsuit began in 2022 when a group of conservative Texas employers and individuals challenged the coverage requirement, arguing the task force's members are not appointed by the president or confirmed by the Senate, yet its recommendations are binding. Initially, a district court judge agreed with the plaintiffs and invalidated the entire task force. Last year, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the employers but limited the decision to just the eight Texas companies involved in the case, rather than nationwide. The Biden administration appealed. Then, in a surprising move, the Trump administration earlier this year said it will continue to defend the law. But some legal experts said the arguments being presented by the Justice Department indicate a desire to give Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. substantial control over an independent government task force. The administration argues the HHS secretary has the ultimate say over both the recommendations and the individual members of the panel, meaning he can dismiss members or block recommendations he does not agree with. Even if the court upholds the task force's constitutionality, 'the question will then be, will HHS follow the science and uphold the USPSTF recommendations, or will it take a different course? And that, obviously, is something that everyone will be watching very carefully,' said Andrew Pincus, a partner at Mayer Brown LLP. Pincus filed a brief on behalf of the American Public Health Association, which argued that invalidating the mandate could increase the cost of preventive care and the cost of health care overall, as patients would delay treatment for preventable diseases and emergencies.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Spanish-language ad in GOP districts sounds alarm on Medicaid cuts
A new ad campaign seeks to alert Spanish-speaking voters in Republican-led swing districts on what is at risk for their health after Congress voted to advance spending plans including more than $800 billion in proposed cuts to Medicaid. Protect Our Care, which lobbies for the preservation of the Affordable Care Act, launched the six-figure radio campaign on Tuesday. The ad, which was provided in advance exclusively to The Hill, features two women discussing the impact Medicaid cuts will have on their families. 'With everything we are facing every day, can you imagine if my kids' health care coverage got taken away?' a woman asks in the ad. 'If Republicans in Congress are able to pass their plan to cut Medicaid, more than half of our kids could lose their health care,' she continues. The woman adds that she would be unable to afford her children's insurance the next time they got sick. 'Cuts to Medicaid also mean that our elders in long-term care could lose health care too,' a second woman points out. The first woman responds, 'One out of three Hispanics rely on Medicaid, so cutting it would be a direct attack against us.' More than 70 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health coverage, more than half of those are people of color, according to reporting from UnidosUS. More than 20 million Latinos and 13.3 million African Americans are on Medicaid, according to the report. Latino Americans overwhelmingly support Medicaid, polling from Protect Our Care and Hart Research found, and would disapprove of cuts to Medicaid funding. But the recent proposed budget cuts — including $880 billion to Medicaid over the next decade — have raised concerns about the racial disparities in health care coverage. Advocates including Protect Our Care have argued the cuts will exacerbate these health inequities, including driving up medical debt in communities of color, worsening health outcomes and leaving families without access to critical care. 'The Republican effort to gut a program that one in three Latinos rely on for health care will have devastating impacts on Hispanic communities nationwide,' Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, said in a statement. 'These ads expose Republicans for turning their backs on their Latino constituents just to give tax cuts to billionaires and big companies.' Some Republicans have also spoken out against the proposed cuts. Last month, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus sent Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) a letter expressing their own concerns about the cuts. 'While we fully support efforts to rein in wasteful spending and deliver on President Trump's agenda, it is imperative that we do not slash programs that support American communities across our nation, nor underfund critical programs necessary to secure the border and keep our communities safe,' the letter said. The lawmakers added, 'Slashing Medicaid would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open.' Protect Our Care's ad campaign is part of an ongoing 10-million-dollar 'Hands Off Medicaid' campaign, which also includes TV and digital ads. The organization also plans to launch a direct mail campaign in 10 Republican swing districts. The new radio campaign will run in seven GOP-held districts, those of Reps. David Schweikert (Ariz.), David Valadao (Calif.), Young Kim (Calif.), Ken Calvert (Calif.), Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.), Rob Bresnahan (Penn.), and Dan Newhouse (Wash.). 'Latinos across the country are counting on Republicans to do the right thing and abandon these cuts to Medicaid,' said Dach. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
25-03-2025
- Health
- The Hill
New Spanish-language ad in GOP districts sounds alarm on Medicaid cuts
A new ad campaign seeks to alert Spanish-speaking voters in Republican-led swing districts on what is at risk for their health after Congress voted to advance spending plans including more than $800 billion in proposed cuts to Medicaid. Protect Our Care, which lobbies for the preservation of the Affordable Care Act, launched the six-figure radio campaign on Tuesday. The ad, which was provided in advance exclusively to The Hill, features two women discussing the impact Medicaid cuts will have on their families. 'With everything we are facing every day, can you imagine if my kids' health care coverage got taken away?' a woman asks in the ad. 'If Republicans in Congress are able to pass their plan to cut Medicaid, more than half of our kids could lose their health care,' she continues. The woman adds that she would be unable to afford her children's insurance the next time they got sick. 'Cuts to Medicaid also mean that our elders in long-term care could lose health care too,' a second woman points out. The first woman responds, 'One out of three Hispanics rely on Medicaid, so cutting it would be a direct attack against us.' More than 70 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health coverage, more than half of those are people of color, according to reporting from UnidosUS. More than 20 million Latinos and 13.3 million African Americans are on Medicaid, according to the report. Latino Americans overwhelmingly support Medicaid, polling from Protect Our Care and Hart Research found, and would disapprove of cuts to Medicaid funding. But the recent proposed budget cuts — including $880 billion to Medicaid over the next decade — have raised concerns about the racial disparities in health care coverage. Advocates including Protect Our Care have argued the cuts will exacerbate these health inequities, including driving up medical debt in communities of color, worsening health outcomes and leaving families without access to critical care. 'The Republican effort to gut a program that one in three Latinos rely on for health care will have devastating impacts on Hispanic communities nationwide,' Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, said in a statement. 'These ads expose Republicans for turning their backs on their Latino constituents just to give tax cuts to billionaires and big companies.' Some Republicans have also spoken out against the proposed cuts. Last month, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus sent Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) a letter expressing their own concerns about the cuts. 'While we fully support efforts to rein in wasteful spending and deliver on President Trump's agenda, it is imperative that we do not slash programs that support American communities across our nation, nor underfund critical programs necessary to secure the border and keep our communities safe,' the letter said. The lawmakers added, 'Slashing Medicaid would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open.' Protect Our Care's ad campaign is part of an ongoing 10-million-dollar 'Hands Off Medicaid' campaign, which also includes TV and digital ads. The organization also plans to launch a direct mail campaign in 10 Republican swing districts. The new radio campaign will run in seven GOP-held districts, those of Reps. David Schweikert (Ariz.), David Valadao (Calif.), Young Kim (Calif.), Ken Calvert (Calif.), Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.), Rob Bresnahan (Penn.), and Dan Newhouse (Wash.). 'Latinos across the country are counting on Republicans to do the right thing and abandon these cuts to Medicaid,' said Dach.
