On January 12th, U.S. Representatives Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) and Dwight Evans (PA-03) hosted a press conference at Temple University Hospital-Main Campus to discuss the House of Representatives’ passage of a three-year extension of recently expired Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. Both congressmembers stressed the importance of these tax credits and called on the Senate to pass the legislation.
“These credits are absolutely vital to making the system work—not just here in Pennsylvania, but throughout the United States,” Representative Boyle said. “Every single healthcare provider is going to be impacted by these cuts. Let’s ensure that we save the healthcare coverage of millions and millions of Americans.”
“Temple University Hospital is on the front line of healthcare,” said Representative Evans. “It’s in everyone’s interest to make sure that 500,000 Pennsylvanians don’t lose their coverage.”
“As a health system serving the nation’s largest city without a public hospital, we carry a unique and essential responsibility,” explained Abhi Rastogi, MBA, MIS, President & CEO of Temple Health, who spoke at the press conference. “We’re proud to provide high quality care with some of the best programs in the country to every patient who comes through our doors, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. That mission is not easy—but it endures because of leaders and partners who understand what is at stake and who stand with our community.”
“Hospitals and health systems operate on very thin margins,” Rastogi continued. “Reductions to programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the health insurance marketplace place significant strain on our ability to meet community needs. And the loss of coverage has real consequences: driving more uninsured patients into emergency departments, delaying care, and limiting access to preventative services, leading to worse outcomes and higher costs for everyone.”
Rastogi thanked Representatives Evans and Boyle for their hard work on behalf of their constituents, and promised that, “with your partnership, we will continue to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to our community and to the greater Southeast Pennsylvania region.”