15 national patient advocacy organizations urge Congress to oppose the ACA repeal and take a bipartisan approach to reform

15 nonpartisan patient and provider groups representing millions of Americans issued the following statement today on theSenate's proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

"Any attempt to repeal the ACA without replacing it with equal or better coverage will leave our health care system in shambles. If the existing law is abolished, 32 million Americans could lose their insurance coverage in the next decade. This approach is completely unacceptable for the patients we represent.

Many of these Americans are low-income or struggle every day with pre-existing health conditions, and have come to rely on the coverage the law has provided. The ACA is not perfect, however, and we agree that long-term improvements need to be made, along with immediate action to stabilize the marketplaces.

When both sides of the aisle work together, they have always found the most durable and long-lasting solutions to the problems facing our country. We implore lawmakers to sit down in a bipartisan fashion and draft a new bill that will strengthen and expand access to affordable and adequate health care coverage."

The following groups issued this statement:
American Diabetes Association
American Heart Association
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
National Organization for Rare Disorders
Muscular Dystrophy Association
March of Dimes
The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
Arthritis Foundation
National Health Council
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Family Voices
American Cancer Society
American Lung Association
ALS Association
Volunteers of America