TFAH Statement on the ACA and the Prevention and Public Health Fund

Washington, D.C., July 28, 2017 – The below is a statement from John Auerbach, president and CEO, Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).

“TFAH is thankful that healthcare coverage will continue to be available for millions of Americans. We applaud the decision by the majority of senators to avoid the damaging repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As a result, millions can breathe a sigh of relief that their coverage will not be cut, their benefits reduced and/or their premiums become unaffordable.

That said, there is a need for continued support to increase and sustain access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, covering the range of needs from life- and cost-saving preventive care to comprehensive treatment.

And, importantly, efforts must ensure the Prevention and Public Health Fund remains intact. The Prevention Fund is one of the most important and biggest sources of funding for prevention-focused efforts, comprising 12 percent of the budget for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Fund supports essential work at CDC and provides more than $600 million a year directly to states and communities to address their leading health concerns using the best public health approaches available. Without these funds, we are putting Americans across the country at unnecessary risk for health problems that could be prevented.”

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Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.