For Immediate Release Contact: Candice Owley, R.N.
June 27, 2012 414-899-7070
cowley@wfnhp.org
Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals Applauds
Supreme Court Decision to Uphold the Affordable Care Act
Milwaukee – Today the U.S. Supreme Court, led by conservative Justice Roberts affirmed the legitimacy of the Affordable Care Act assuring that millions of Wisconsinites will continue to have the right to health care benefits. The following is a statement from Candice Owley, president of WFNHP:
“The decision that the ACA is constitutional is a tremendous victory for Wisconsin families. The ruling not only supports the constitutionality of the Act, but it also allows the building of a better, fairer health care system to move forward. Today’s ruling provides peace of mind for Wisconsin families because it ensures that hard working families will get the health coverage they deserve and will be protected against the worst forms of insurance abuse. No longer will insurance companies be able to cancel policies or deny care to those with pre-existing conditions, and no longer will women be charged more than men for a policy. Preventive care will continue to be covered at 100%, and thousands of Wisconsin’s young adults under age 26 will continue to be eligible for coverage on their parents’ plans.
The ruling is also positive for hospitals, because they may begin to see a reduction in uncompensated care as more people sign up for health insurance coverage, which is why the Catholic Health Association stated it was pleased that the ACA was found constitutional and will remain in effect. Continued implementation of the ACA will also mean that the health system will continue to restructure the system so it’s truly patient-centered.
Now that the conservative U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed the constitutionality of the health care law, it is time for Governor Walker to abide by the law of the land and move forward to implement the ACA. The Governor should stop playing politics with the lives of Wisconsin citizens and immediately move to reassemble the Health Reform Implementation Committee and get the health insurance exchanges up and running.”
For more information about the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, please visit www.wfnhp.org.
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Wisconsin FNHP is a division of AFT Healthcare, which represents more than 65,000 nurses
and other healthcare professionals.
A Union of Professionals