Senator Bob Casey warns 50k people in the Valley could lose healthcare if the ACA is repealed

Senator Bob Casey warns 50k people in the Valley could lose healthcare if the ACA is repealed

By Gabi Falk, WLVR News Lehigh University Intern

October 13, 2020

Pennsylvania US Senator Bob Casey says a rushed confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett could impact healthcare for tens of thousands of people in the Lehigh Valley.

Senator Casey, a Democrat, says the Trump administration wants Barrett on deck for an upcoming hearing on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. And that could mean 50,000 people in Lehigh and Northampton counties could lose coverage. 

“If there was ever a time to not move in the direction of destroying the one piece of legislation that protects someone with a preexisting condition, if there was ever a time to not go in that direction it would be right now,” said Casey. 

During a recent press call about healthcare in the Lehigh Valley, Casey expressed concerns about what could happen to millions of Pennsylvanians if the Supreme Court were to overturn the ACA during a pandemic.

“I think that a lot of Americans are just beginning to focus in the last number of days on the mortal danger that the Affordable Care Act is in.”

The Supreme Court is scheduled to begin hearing arguments about the ACA on Nov. 10, a week after the election. 

This story is part of a collaboration between WLVR News and Lehigh University’s Department of Journalism & Communication. View all student stories.

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