Statement on Motion to Proceed Vote in the Senate

Rick Pollack
President and CEO
American Hospital Association

July 25, 2017

Although we are certainly disappointed by today’s development, we are also more determined than ever to help advance solutions aimed at protecting coverage. As the Senate prepares to undergo its amendment process, it is our hope that the critical task of repairing our health care system can be achieved on a bipartisan basis. Put simply: Our challenges are too great and our opportunities too promising to let political partisanship dictate the path forward for America’s patients. Those of us on the front lines of health care know all too well the consequences repealing the ACA would have on patients.

Ultimately, however, any legislative efforts that entail devastating cuts to the Medicaid program or coverage losses will be opposed with the same vigor that was responsible for the Senate’s inability to debate the AHCA until now. Amid all of the uncertainty surrounding the health care reform debate, this fact remains unmistakably clear: We will always fight tirelessly for the patients and communities we serve.

About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.