FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 12, 2021
Statement attributable to:
Ada D. Stewart, MD
President
American Academy of Family Physicians
“The American Academy of Family Physicians commends the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to stop enforcing and revoke the public charge rule, which had been under review following President Biden’s executive order.
“The AAFP has repeatedly spoken out against the public charge rule, which evidence indicates caused a widespread chilling effect as immigrant families avoided seeking needed health care services and public benefits. This rule jeopardized immigrant families’ own health and that of their communities, which is particularly alarming during the COVID-19 pandemic. We applaud the administration for removing it from the code of regulations.
“We look forward to working with the administration to improve equitable access to comprehensive primary care for all patients, including immigrant families.”
Editor's Note: To arrange an interview with Dr. Stewart, contact Megan Moriarty, 800-274-2237, Ext. 6052, or mmoriarty@aafp.org.
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About American Academy of Family Physicians
Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 130,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that’s 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine and the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, visit www.aafp.org. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.