ACOG Applauds Defeat of the AHCA

Washington, DC—The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) today released the following statement regarding the U.S. House of Representatives’ pulled vote on the American Health Care Act (AHCA):

“The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the nation’s largest professional organization for women’s health care physicians, believes a major crisis was averted today when leaders of the House of Representatives pulled the vote for the American Health Care Act—legislation that would have had a significant and devastating impact on the health and well-being of all Americans, especially women and families.

The American people have made their voices heard by telling their elected representatives: Do not turn back the clock on women’s health.

ACOG applauds the leadership of representatives who stood firm against this harmful bill, especially Republicans who put the good of their constituents over partisan politics. We also applaud the thousands of ob-gyns and patients who took action to defeat it. Now is the time to take a step back, put politics aside and develop a bipartisan plan, working with both physicians and patients to ensure access to affordable coverage and reduce health care costs.

The Affordable Care Act put in place landmark women’s health protections that are now part of the fabric of our nation. More than 55 million women have gained access to preventive services, including mammograms and birth control with no cost-sharing. And 8.7 million women now have the peace of mind of having maternity care coverage and will not risk going into debt in order to grow their families.

Any health insurance reform must ensure none of our patients lose access to care that they have today. ACOG remains vigilant to oppose any future attacks on women’s health, and looks forward to working with the U.S. Congress to develop a better path.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), a 501(c)(3) organization, is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, The College strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a 501(c)(6) organization, is its companion organization. www.acog.org