ASAN remains strongly opposed to the elimination of the individual mandate to purchase health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and condemns the inclusion of repeal within the latest versions of the tax bills.
The individual mandate helps make insurance more affordable, especially for people with disabilities. The bipartisan Congressional Budget Office has shown that 13 million people could lose access to affordable coverage if the mandate is repealed, with premiums rising an average of 10%. The American people have strongly rejected such proposals three times in this year alone. Taken in conjunction with the Budget resolution which cut $5 trillion dollars over the next decade from Medicaid, Social Security, and other essential services that allow people with disabilities to live good lives in our communities, the tax bill and the repeal of the individual mandate amount to a full-scale attack on people with disabilities.
It is reprehensible and immoral to take health care away from 13 million people in order to let corporations and the wealthiest Americans avoid paying their fair share of taxes. The lives and liberty of people with disabilities are worth more than this. ASAN urges Congress to heed the clear voice of the disability community–and many others–and abandon this umpteenth attempt to force a destructive and partisan agenda.
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run by and for autistic people. ASAN was created to serve as a national grassroots disability rights organization for the autistic community run by and for autistic Americans, advocating for systems change and ensuring that the voices of autistic people are heard in policy debates and the halls of power. Our staff work to educate communities, support self-advocacy in all its forms, and improve public perceptions of autism. ASAN’s members and supporters include autistic adults and youth, cross-disability advocates, and non-autistic family members, professionals, educators, and friends.