LANSING - The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, requiring health plans to cover preventative services like flu shots, cancer screenings, contraception and mammograms to consumers at no cost. But a current lawsuit could bring the ACA to an end.

Protect Our Care Michigan joined House Democrats Tuesday, June 9th to discuss and point out the consequences of the Texas v. United States lawsuit that was filed against the ACA in 2018.

The lawsuit was filed by 20 Republican state officials, who argued that the entire Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional – including protections for pre-existing conditions. This past December, a conservative judge in Texas ruled in favor of the lawsuit and declared the entire ACA invalid.

Attorney General Dana Nessel, with the support and coordination of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, filed a motion on behalf of the state of Michigan to intervene with the law suit.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer released a statement saying her and the Attorney General have stepped up to protect the hundreds of thousands of Michiganders because everyone deserves a right to affordable health care.

“We’re committed to working every day to make sure Michigan families can get the care they need, and that starts by defending the Affordable Care Act and expanding coverage to people across the state,” said Governor Whitmer.

Michigan has joined 16 other states and the District of Columbia in their opposition to the decision of the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

“By putting the Affordable Care Act in the crosshairs, the Trump Administration is threatening the health and security of residents in my district and across the country,” said Dearborn Democratic House Representative Abdullah Hammoud. “If the president gets his way, and the Texas v. United States lawsuit is successful, more than 720,000 Michigan residents could have their health care taken away and completely lose coverage.”

Attorney General Dana Nessel pointed out that more than 40 percent of Michigan residents – 4,110,300 – have a pre-existing condition that would no longer be covered as insurance companies step away from mandated coverage. Of those with pre-existing conditions, 527,600 are children, 2,038,000 are women, and 1,024,000 are between the ages of 55 and 64.

But Michiganders aren’t the only ones who would be affected. Below is a list of consequences that could prevail if the lawsuit succeeds:

• Protections for 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions will be taken away. The uninsured rate will increase by 65 percent.
• Medicaid expansion will disappear, which covers 17 million people.
• Nearly 12 million seniors will have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare ‘donut hole’ will be reopened.
• 2.3 million adult children will no longer be able to stay on their parents’ insurance.
• Insurance companies will be able to charge women 50 percent more than men.
• Financial assistance that helps 9 million people purchase health care in the marketplace will be gone.
• Key support for rural hospitals will decrease. As Americans lose coverage, already struggling hospitals will be hit even harder as their costs increase.
• Ban on insurance companies having lifetime caps on coverage will go away.
• Requirements that insurance companies cover prescription drugs and maternity care will be gone.

The lawsuit is currently in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals where oral arguments began June 9th.

It’s still unclear when the panel will make a ruling in the case