The Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA welcomes bipartisan efforts in Congress to extend the enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We urge members to continue good faith negotiations to ensure that health care continues to be affordable for the millions of Americans who purchase coverage through the health insurance marketplace.
As the largest lay Catholic organization in the U.S. dedicated to serving the poor, we have a unique street-level view of the health care crisis in this country and a special urgency to get this issue solved. It is simply unacceptable for anyone to forgo needed health care because they cannot afford it. Neither is it acceptable for anyone to choose between paying a health insurance premium or paying the rent. Yet, that is what is happening now, as more than 20 million subsidized enrollees in the ACA see their premium costs rise by more than 100%. The extension of these subsidies is vitally important for the many Americans who are struggling to live day-to-day.
Once an agreement is in place, we urge Congress to work to develop a permanent healthcare solution so that we don’t have to go through this again in the future.
We believe that respect for human dignity requires all people to be able to access adequate healthcare without jeopardizing their ability to provide for their basic human needs. We pray that any proposed legislation will enshrine protections for human dignity and provide opportunity for all to thrive.
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