Hello,

The Senate will take the first step to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) later this week. Please take a few minutes to call your Senators TODAY, both those supportive and in opposition to the ACA, and let them know that the ACA is critical to persons with disabilities. Calls are most helpful at this current time than emails. The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is circulating a very similar alert to the entire membership, but I tweaked it to make it about educating and informing Senators. It is also attached in word for easy sharing as well as the linked factsheet on the ACA from CCD.

Also, I have learned that the Senate Democrats are planning to hold the floor this evening to discuss the importance of the ACA, and for those on Twitter, the hash tag being used is #MakeAmericaSickAgain. Leader Schumer along with fellow Senate Democrats will take to Facebook Live and host calls with advocacy groups this evening.

Regards,

Cindy Smith, MS, CAS, JD
Director of Public Policy

National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities

1825 K Street, NW Suite 600

Washington, DC 20006

202-506-5813 ext 104

xxxxxx@nacdd.org

www.nacdd.org

CALL SENATORS TO PROTECT HEALTH CARE

Congressional leadership have declared that one of their first goals in the new 115^th Congress is to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) and “replace” it. While Congress has passed many bills to repeal the ACA in the past, in the past it was known that President Obama would veto them. However, this is not the case with President-elect Donald Trump who says he will sign a bill that repeals the ACA.

The Senate is planning to pass a budget that will begin the process of repealing the ACA as soon as this Thursday, JANUARY 11. This will be the first step in taking health care away from people before having any plan to replace it.

TAKE ACTION NOW

Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senator’s office.

Tell your Senator:

· The Budget package will lead to eliminating the Affordable Care Act which is a critical to persons with disabilities.

· People with disabilities must have access to comprehensive and affordable health care.

· Congress must include the disability community in any discussion about repeal and replace to ensure that any changes meet the needs of people with disabilities.

We must educate and inform our Members of Congress before January 11^th about why the ACA is so important to everyone, but especially to people with disabilities.

The key provisions in the ACA that support the health and well-being of people with disabilities that we cannot lose include:

Because of the ACA, health insurers cannot deny you health insurance if you have a disability or chronic condition.
Because of the ACA, there aren't arbitrary financial limits to how much health care you can get in a year or in your lifetime.
Because of the ACA, more people with disabilities receive supports and live in the community, not institutions.
Because of the ACA, 20 million adults and children now have health insurance, thanks to the Medicaid Expansion and the health insurance subsidies, and millions of young adults have been able to stay on their parents’ health insurance.
Because of the ACA, health insurers started to provide people with the services they need—like mental health services and rehabilitation and habilitation services and devices

There are countless other provisions in the ACA that are important to people with disabilities. The ACA has unquestionably improved access to health care for people with disabilities to help them live healthy, independent, and fulfilling lives. Learn more here.

SAMPLE TWEETS TO YOUR SENATORS

People w #disabilities rely on #ACA for comprehensive health care http://bit.ly/2jjeZau

Affordable Care Act = affordable comprehensive care for people w/#disabilities. Don’t repeal it! http://bit.ly/2jjeZau’

11 million at risk of losing Medicaid if #ACA repealed http://kaiserf.am/2gacF4c