The ALS Association and 23 partners that represent millions of patients across the country released a statement strongly supporting the petitions filed today by state attorneys general and by the U.S. House of Representatives that seek expedited U.S. Supreme Court review of last month’s Texas v. United States ruling. The ruling endangers patient access to adequate, accessible, and affordable health care.

The coalition issued the following statement:

“Our organizations, representing millions of individuals and families affected by chronic and serious health conditions, are grateful for the swift action taken by 20 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Patients cannot afford to endure prolonged uncertainty about the long-term status of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the critical protections it guarantees.

“While the ACA remains the law of the land, the December appeals court ruling leaves open the possibility that millions of people with pre-existing conditions will one day find themselves without access to the law’s important patient protections. It is critical that the Supreme Court takes up this case for review immediately and provides a resolution to this case that threatens the foundational protections our communities rely on.”

Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down the ACA’s individual mandate and remanded the case back to the district court to rule on whether other components of the law, including the future of many key patient protections, remain valid. The petitions filed today request the Supreme Court review the appeals court’s decision that the ACA’s individual mandate is unconstitutional as well as whether, if it is unconstitutional, the rest of the ACA remains unaffected.

Here is the list of coalition partners that signed the statement:

ALS Association

American Heart Association

American Liver Foundation

American Lung Association

Arthritis Foundation

Chronic Disease Coalition

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Epilepsy Foundation

Hemophilia Federation of America

Lutheran Services in America

March of Dimes

Muscular Dystrophy Association

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

National Health Council

National Kidney Foundation

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Organization for Rare Disorders

National Patient Advocate Foundation

National Psoriasis Foundation

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

United Way Worldwide

Women Heart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

MEDIA CONTACT:

Brian Frederick

The ALS Association

bfrederick@alsa-national.org