TRENTON – Senator Nia H. Gill issued the following statement on the Congressional Republicans’ proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act. Senator Gill was the sponsor of legislation to create a state health exchange, also known as the Marketplace. She also sponsored legislation to expand Medicaid under the ACA:
“The GOP proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act would decimate health care for New Jersey residents.
“It would mean the loss of coverage for our most vulnerable through a rollback of the Medicaid expansion. It would get rid of important protections for consumers and penalize those who lose insurance when they re-enter the market, further hampering the ability of residents to get coverage. It would eliminate the individual mandate, which was the central component of reform and the element that ensures its success, and would abolish the requirement that large employers offer coverage. In addition, it would eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood.
“Meanwhile, corporations and the wealthy will get a tax break.
“More than 20 million Americans now have health insurance as a result of the landmark healthcare reform law, including 800,000 in New Jersey. The Republicans proposal would eliminate the progress made through the law that provided access to health care for residents in New Jersey and across the country, many for the first time.
“We will work with our congressional delegation, advocates and our residents to fight the Republicans’ plan to slash health care for millions of Americans to the benefit of their well-connected allies. The governor also has an obligation to fight this destructive replacement that would harm New Jersey residents.”