The American Heart Association (AHA) and 10 other patient groups released a position statement on March 6 outlining priorities that Congress should consider when making changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The groups developed a set of healthcare reform principles, including preserving coverage for individuals who currently have insurance, those with preexisting health conditions and those with Medicare and Medicaid coverage. The groups also wants to extend coverage to uninsured individuals, lower the costs of care and improve care quality.

The groups added that health insurance needs to be affordable, accessible, adequate and understandable. They defined affordable as patients being able to have access to care from an experienced provider in a timely manner without “undue financial burden,” although they did not reveal any specific cost data. The groups also wrote that affordable coverage includes reasonable premiums, cost sharing and limits on out-of-pocket expenses. In addition, they wrote that low-income Americans and people with preexisting conditions should receive financial assistance and not be subject to increasing premium costs based on their disease or health status.

The groups mentioned that some accessibility protections in the ACA should remain, including prohibitions on preexisting condition exclusions, annual and lifetime limits, insurance policy rescissions gender pricing and excessive premiums for older adults. They also noted that Congress should retain the ACA provision that states children can stay on their parents’ health plans until they are 26 years old. Further, they mentioned that they do not favor excessive cost-shifting, funding cuts, per capita caps or block granting for Medicare and Medicaid.

In addition, the groups wrote that health insurance plans should offer numerous benefits and access to a comprehensive and stable network of providers. They also mentioned that insured people should all have access to preventive services without cost-sharing. They added that insurance companies should provide transparent, understandable information on the costs and coverage options in each of their health plans.

Besides the AHA, the other groups involved in the joint statement were the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Diabetes Association, American Lung Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, JDRF, March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Organization for Rare Disorders and WomenHeart, the National Coalition for Women and Heart Disease.