News

New Developments in the ACA repeal case before SCOTUS

The Supreme Court of the United States has set a date to hear oral arguments in California v. Texas: one week after election day, November 10, 2020. This lawsuit has the potential to overturn the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has been instrumental in providing comprehensive, quality health coverage to children across the country.

The lawsuit, known in the lower courts as Texas v. Azar and Texas v. US, was brought forth by Texas and 19 other states. They allege ACA is no longer valid because the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set the tax penalty for not having health insurance to $0. Among those seeking to repeal the Affordable Care Act is Arizona’s Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Attorney General Brnovich and opponents of the ACA argue that a patchwork of state-level laws will protect patients in the same way. But, this is misleading.

For example, this year in Arizona, State Senator J.D. Mesnard passed legislation that purportedly provides protection against discrimination for people with pre-existing conditions. However, the law does not explicitly protect against price gouging for these individuals, and our state is woefully underprepared to enforce the law. The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions, which investigates complaints against insurance companies, has just six investigators who oversee 1,600 insurers. Of the more than 3,000 complaints filed with the agency in FY2019, only 345 were investigated.

Children’s Action Alliance recently partnered with researchers at ASU’s College of Health Solutions to examine the impact of ACA repeal on Arizona’s children and families. The report examines key tenets of the ACA, including its protections for people with pre-existing conditions, Medicaid expansion, and its tremendous impact on reducing the rate of uninsured children in Arizona.

To read the full report, click here.

More News

News

How Did Your Representative Vote on the Harmful Budget?

Early this morning, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget reconciliation bill. This bill includes significant cuts to health care that will result in eligible Arizonans losing their health insurance coverage through AHCCCS and the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. It also jeopardizes assistance…

News

3 Days to Stop Budget Cuts that Hurt Children

We have just THREE days to stop a budget bill that includes drastic cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and more. These cuts will cause pain for children, families, and Arizonans in every county in our state. As costs are rising, people who are struggling will be stripped of their health care and assistance with…

Events

Head Start Turns 60: Honoring Its Legacy and Fighting for Its Future

On Sunday, May 18th, Head Start celebrates 60 years as a federal early care and education program serving over 800,000 young children across the nation, 17,000 of whom are in Arizona. The Arizona Head Start Association and Children’s Action Alliance held a presentation and panel discussion in Eloy,…