ASTHO Executive Director Michael Fraser Responds to the Affordable Care Act Replacement Bill

March 07, 2017

ARLINGTON, VA—“While millions of Americans may experience changes in their insurance coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act “repeal and replace” debate, all will lose with the elimination of the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Core state and territorial public health programs have been moved into the Prevention and Public Health Fund and its elimination without a clear replacement is concerning. States and territories rely on the fund to support long-standing public health programs that promote health, prevent disease, and allow rapid response to emerging public health threats.

Eliminating the fund would result in cuts to programs that provide critical childhood immunizations, help smokers quit their deadly tobacco habit, fight obesity and diabetes, battle the opioid epidemic, and offer support for other disease-specific efforts.

Preventing disease and promoting health is the most commonsense approach to controlling healthcare costs and improving health outcomes. We urge Congress to either find a replacement mechanism to fund these core health programs otherwise we will immediately put at risk the health and well-being of millions of people living in every urban city and rural community in America.”

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ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and freely associated states, and Washington, D.C., as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice.