What doctors think of the Obamacare replacement plan

Titled the American Health Care Act, the bill aims to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, overhauling the healthcare system.

The bill tries to preserve some of the well-regarded aspects of the ACA, such as allowing people with preexisting conditions to keep their coverage — so long as they don't have a lapse in insurance.

At the same time, some estimates say millions of Americans could lose their insurance under the AHCA. And the AHCA is already facing backlash from conservative Republicans who have nicknamed the bill "Obamacare 2.0."

Doctors' organizations, hospital groups, and patient advocacy groups also do not seem to be the biggest fans of the bill in its current form. Here's what some of the major groups have said.

American Medical Association — "We cannot support the AHCA as drafted."

The biggest group of doctors in the US called the bill "critically flawed."

"While we agree that there are problems with the ACA that must be addressed, we cannot support the AHCA as drafted because of the expected decline in health insurance coverage and the potential harm it would cause to vulnerable patient populations," the AMA said in a letter to Congress. The organization said it wouldn't support the bill's plans to roll back Medicaid expansion or the repeal of the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which helps fund the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The AMA had concerns about the tax-credits structure proposed in the bill. "We believe credits inversely related to income, rather than age as proposed in the committee's legislation, not only result in greater numbers of people insured but are a more efficient use of tax-payer resources."

Here's the full letter.

American Academy of Family Physicians — "We strongly disagree with statements that suggest the AHCA will provide every American 'access to health care coverage.'"

The national association of family doctors also had concerns about the number of people who could be negatively affected by the bill.

"We strongly disagree with statements that suggest the AHCA will provide every American 'access to health care coverage.' 'Access to health care coverage' is distinctly different than 'securing health care coverage,'" the organization's board chair, Dr. Wanda Flier, said in a letter.

The AAFP's concerns also focused on making sure that the relationship between patients and physicians wasn't interfered with.

Here's the full letter.

American College of Physicians — "We urge you to oppose the American Health Care Act."

The organization, which represents 148,000 internal-medicine physicians and medical students, echoed some of the AMA's concerns about tax credits and Medicaid rollback.

The ACP also worried that those with preexisting conditions, while still technically covered, may not be able to afford coverage under the AHCA.

"We urge you to oppose the American Health Care Act because it would weaken key gains in coverage and consumer protections and lead to fewer people having access to affordable coverage," Dr. Nitin Damle, the ACP president, wrote in a letter to Congress.

Here's the letter.

American Hospital Association — "We ask Congress to protect our patients, and find ways to maintain coverage for as many Americans as possible."

The organization, which represents thousands of hospitals and health systems, said it couldn't support the bill in its current form. That's especially because the Congressional Budget Office hasn't finished its estimates about how many people would be covered under the bill.

"We ask Congress to protect our patients, and find ways to maintain coverage for as many Americans as possible," Richard Pollack, the organization's president and CEO, wrote in a letter.

American Heart Association — "As many as 15 million fewer Americans would be covered under the proposal."

The American Heart Association's sticking point was also about how many would be covered under the new bill.

"While we are initially encouraged by an acknowledgement in the draft of the importance of preserving critical, important patient protections including pre-existing conditions, the policy priority for the AHA remains the overall preservation of coverage for those Americans insured under Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act," Nancy Brown, AHA's CEO, told MedPage Today in a statement.

"We are not convinced, based on our initial analysis, that this goal will be accomplished by the proposed legislation. According to estimates attributed to the Brookings Institution, as many as 15 million fewer Americans would be covered under the proposal."

American Diabetes Association — "The Association expresses our serious concerns with the American Health Care Act and the impact it will have for people with, and at risk for, diabetes."

The organization, which funds diabetes research and is an advocate for those living with the disease said Wednesday that it had "deep concerns" about the bill.

Provide coverage for at least the same number of people as under the ACA. No one should lose health insurance coverage as a result of the ACA repeal and replacement plan.
Ensure continuous availability of health insurance coverage regardless of a person’s circumstances.
Ensure access to adequate and affordable health insurance coverage for everyone, regardless of health status, income, age and employment.
Continue to prioritize prevention, including prevention of diabetes and its serious complications."

Here's what the organization had to say.

What doctors think of the Obamacare replacement plan

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