STATEMENT: Senate Republicans Pull Graham-Cassidy

September 2017

PRESS STATEMENT

Contact: Jeff Rogers, Communications Specialist
Jeff.Rogers@unacuhcp.org | 909-263-7230

LOS ANGELES, CA — UNAC/UHCP President Denise Duncan, RN, issued the following statement on the Senate Republicans’ decision to pull the Graham-Cassidy bill from consideration:

"I want to thank Republican Senators John McCain, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski, as well as every single Democratic Senator, for protecting health care for tens of millions of Americans. As a nurse, I've seen firsthand what happens when an uninsured person arrives at the emergency room in dire straits. Taking away health insurance doesn't end the need for care, it merely delays care. The patients and their families pay the ultimate price, because delayed diagnosis and treatment can be deadly. For those who do survive, it impacts wellness, recovery, quality of life and often the ability to remain employed.

"UNAC/UHCP opposed the Graham-Cassidy bill because it would have resulted in a loss of health care access for tens of millions of Americans. Patients and those who care for them deserve better. We hope that leaders in the Senate can now get back to finding ways to stabilize the Affordable Care Act."

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United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) represents over 28,000 registered nurses and other health care professionals in California including, optometrists; pharmacists; physical, occupational and speech therapists; case managers; nurse midwives; social workers; clinical lab scientists; physician assistants and nurse practitioners.