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AOA President Boyd R. Buser, DO, reiterated the AOA's opposition to the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the BCRA after the July 4 recess.
CHICAGO—June 28, 2017—AOA President Boyd R. Buser, DO, issued the following statement in response to the Senate's decision to delay its vote on the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017:
"The US Senate yesterday opted to delay its scheduled vote on the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA) until after the July 4th recess. This announcement follows the release of a Congressional Budget Office analysis that predicts the bill would reduce health coverage and access to 22 million Americans over the next decade.
The American Osteopathic Association reiterated its opposition to the bill in light of this analysis. If enacted, the BCRA would erode Medicaid eligibility, reduce benefits and coverage, and ultimately result in higher premiums and deductibles for older, sicker and poorer patients.
I am on Capitol Hill today with a coalition of leaders from five primary care organizations to engage Senate leaders around our priority to ensure access to affordable care and coverage for our patients. The 500,000+ physicians and medical students represented by coalition members provide the majority of front-line care to Americans.
We are meeting with Senate members and staff today urging them to set aside the BCRA and focus instead on efforts that maintain access to care, promote quality patient outcomes and address rising health care costs."
About the American Osteopathic Association
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 129,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; serves as the primary certifying body for DOs; and is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools. Visit DoctorsThatDO.org to learn more about osteopathic medicine.