APIA Health Forum: Trump tax bil will have a negative impact on health care.

SCREEN CAPTURE / NBC

Around 2:30 a.m., Dec. 2, the U.S. Senate approved the controversial tax reform bill.

The U.S. Senate passed a horrendous tax reform bill that will change America for decades if signed by Donald Trump. It was written up in secret, amended at the last minute and voted upon in the early morning hours of Saturday, Dec. 2.

Although called a tax bill, its impact on health care will impact Americans for decades by eliminated the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act, sometmes referred to as Obamacare. 

RELATED: Asian American senators decry the tax vote

On Saturday afternoon, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum issued the following press release:

"Today, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) released a statement following the Senate's passage of tax legislation, including an amendment to repeal the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Due to the repeal, an estimated 13 million people will lose their health insurance.

"'It is shameful that in the midst of open enrollment as millions of Americans head to the Affordable Care Act's marketplace to get coverage they can rely on, the Senate has voted to partially dismantle that same coverage in order to pass tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest in our nation, while adding an estimated 1 trillion dollars to our deficit,' said Kathy Ko Chin, APIAHF president and CEO. 

"This is dangerous for communities, such as Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, who disproportionately face disparities and barriers in accessing health insurance and utilizing health care. 
"The increase to the deficit will also lead to automatic future spending cuts to certain programs like Medicare and the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Health care must be affordable and available for all. We will work alongside other health advocates in calling on Congress to listen to their constituents and heed the call to protect our care.

"Since the ACA became law, the individual mandate has helped to reduce the uninsured rates for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPI) by half. The Congressional Budget Office estimated repealing the mandate will lead to 13 million people losing their health insurance and premiums will increase by 10 percent. 

"Many AAs and NHPIs disproportionately experience a range of chronic conditions that, prior to the ACA, were considered pre-existing conditions that required routine access to preventive care and treatment. Before the ACA, many groups, such as Korean, Indonesian and Micronesian Americans had uninsured rates above 20 percent.

"The House plans to vote on the tax bill (this week) and must work with the Senate to reconcile differences. If passed, the bill will then move to President Trump for signature, setting the stage for further attacks on health care programs in 2018.

"APIAHF urges the House to reject the Senate Bill and to stand up for the constituencies they represent."

The House in a 222-192 vote on Monday (Dec. 3) voted to approve a motion to go to conference with the Senate on tax legislation.

The people responsible for Americans' health issued a joint statement this month, the American Psychiatric Association, American College of Physicians, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Academy of Pediatrics, among others, voiced strong opposition to the GOP's tax proposal.

The American Hospital Association approved of some portions of the bill that included the tax-exemption for nonprofit hospitals, but was also dismayed at the elimination of the individual mandate.

"We are also disappointed that the tax legislation passed with a provision that would eliminate the individual mandate, which would result in the loss of health insurance coverage for millions of Americans," said an AHA statement. "The goal of the ACA was to extend coverage and, as a result, millions have benefitted from access to needed care. We must protect that access to care for those who need it and ensure the most vulnerable patients are not left behind."

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