The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) is pleased with the hard work that has gone into passing the Affordable Health Choices Act successfully through the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.  This comprehensive health reform legislation makes huge strides in improving access to health and long term services and supports for people with limb loss.

True health care reform should be assure that all Americans, including people with limb loss, have access to high quality, comprehensive, affordable health care that meets their individual needs and enables them to be healthy, functional, live as independently as possible, and participate in the community. The Affordable Health Choices Act goes a long way toward meeting that goal.

Many of the provisions will greatly improve the lives of people with limb loss.  In particular, we strongly support the insurance market reforms, including guaranteed issue and renewal of coverage in the individual and small group markets, the prohibition of pre-existing health condition exclusions, and the end of annual and lifetime insurance caps with a limit on out of pocket spending.

We greatly appreciate the bill’s recognition of essential benefit categories that improve the ability of people with limb loss to maintain and improve their functional ability.  Specifically, we are most grateful for the Committee’s inclusion of coverage of rehabilitation and habilitation “devices” as well as services in the essential benefits package.  This statutory language establishes coverage for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) which are critical to the disability and chronic illness population.  The bill also covers as essential benefits rehabilitative, habilitative, and mental health and substance abuse services -- all of which are critical to enabling people with disabilities to function independently.

We also applaud the inclusion of the Community Living Assistance Supports and Services (CLASS) Act in the Affordable Health Choices Act. For persons with disabilities and chronically ill older Americans – arguably the most vulnerable populations in the nation – long term services and supports are their primary unmet care need, and are critical to promoting health and preventing illness.  The landmark CLASS Act is the threshold to meaningful change ensuring that individuals are able to function as independently as possible within their homes, families, and their communities. 

We will continue to work with the committee, their staff and our coalition partners to secure final passage of meaningful and comprehensive health reform legislation that meets the needs of all Americans this year.   This includes continuing to push for the same meaningful language in the House bill(s).