Recently, doctors from across West Virginia wrote an op-ed urging West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey to end his lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act that would cut health care during a public health crisis. The doctors pressed AG Morrisey on how he would ensure coverage for the 716,400 West Virginians with pre-existing conditions, like diabetes, lung disease, heart disease and addiction, if his ACA repeal lawsuit is successful. The doctors expressed additional concerns about AG Morrisey’s effort as it relates to prescription drug prices and protections for the thousands of West Virginians still reeling from black lung disease.

It is not just health care coverage that is at risk. The doctors further warn that repealing the health care law will harm physician practices, hospitals and rural clinics, and cost the state 16,000 jobs. The doctors call AG Morrisey’s decision to double down on his efforts to strip care away “inexplicable” and question why an elected official wouldn’t do “everything he could to protect the health coverage of West Virginians, rather than joining the effort to kill the ACA.”

In case you missed it, the full op-ed by West Virginia doctors is linked here.

“West Virginia doctors work tirelessly to save lives and keep families healthy, and the last thing they should have to do is beg an elected official not to take health care away from hundreds of thousands of West Virginians,” said Manfred Mecoy, Deputy Political Director of the Democratic Attorneys General Association. “In the middle of a public health crisis that has stolen the lives of nearly 400 West Virginians, families and doctors across the state deserve to know why ‘Pain Pill Pat’ Morrisey is still trying to take health care away from West Virginians when they need it the most.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

With the ACA repeal case set to be heard by the Supreme Court just one week after Election Day, the ongoing pandemic, and the Supreme Court nomination hearings underway, access to affordable health care is the number one issue in the West Virginia AG race. Just two years ago AG Morrisey’s extreme anti-health care stance cost him a WV Senate seat. Now, national Republicans have been forced to spend more than $1.7 million on Morrisey’s weak bid for a third term (after promising West Virginia voters he’d only seek two terms).

As a native West Virginian, Democratic AG nominee Sam Petsonk has the momentum and the solutions West Virginians are looking for in their next Attorney General. It’s easy to see why he’s the clear choice come November 3rd. Read more about how health care is a winning message for Democrats, even in traditionally red states, here.