ARLINGTON, Va. March 22, 2017 – On the eve of a planned House vote on the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the American Psychiatric Association (APA) sent a letter to Congressional leaders voicing its opposition to the bill. In addition, the APA issued the following statement:

“The AHCA will remove insurance coverage from millions of Americans who will not be able to access treatment otherwise,” said APA President Maria A. Oquendo, M.D., Ph.D. “Furthermore, the bill will roll back Medicaid expansion that occurred under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That will threaten the 1.3 million Americans with serious mental illness and the 2.8 million Americans with substance use disorders who gained coverage for the first time under the expansion. We are willing to work with members of both parties in Congress so that more Americans have access to high-quality care. Unfortunately, we cannot support the AHCA bill because it is not a solution.”

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose more than 37,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at www.psychiatry.org.