Six-Month Anniversary of Health Reform Law Results in Immediate, Big Benefits

Thursday, September 23, marks the six-month anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act). The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of the consumer health organization Families USA, about that anniversary:

“The six-month anniversary of the Affordable Care Act is not just an historical milestone; it is also the day when substantial, helpful new health benefits and protections begin for families across the nation. These changes will give consumers new opportunities to obtain insurance and will extend important protections to millions of consumers who already have health coverage.

“As millions of people receive immediate help, the good news will spread, and many more people will hear from neighbors, friends, and family members about what the Affordable Care Act can do for them. As a result, the immediate help to many families and individuals will become a confidence-builder to all others about the future benefits of the health reform law.

“The immediate help that is now available will benefit both young and old, healthy people and those with health problems, small business owners and workers, and many millions who are struggling to afford health insurance.

“Help is clearly on the way for many millions of people: 

• For children under 19 years of age, who will no longer be denied health coverage due to a pre-existing condition.
  
  
• For young adults, who will be able to gain or retain health coverage through their parents’ insurance.
  
  
• For adults denied coverage by insurance companies due to health conditions, who will be able to enroll in new pre-existing condition insurance pools.
  
  
• For seniors, who will get help that reduces their prescription drug out-of-pocket costs and who will be able to obtain preventive care with no copayments.
  
  
• For small businesses, who will receive tax credits to make the costs of coverage for their workers less burdensome.
  
  
• For people who unfortunately contract a major, costly illness, who will no longer be told that there are lifetime limits on their insurance benefits.
  
  
• For women, who will no longer pay higher premiums just because of their gender and who can now see their ob-gyn without prior authorization from their insurance company.
  
  
• For everyone, who will now be able to appeal wrongful decisions by insurance companies to independent decisionmakers.

“As a result, the six-month anniversary of the Affordable Care Act is worthy of celebration across the nation. We at Families USA are catalyzing such celebrations, and we will also continue to inform people about the myriad benefits of the new law.

“For the political naysayers about health reform, this is also a turning point. From here on out, any attempt to repeal health reform will become increasingly unpopular because repeal would take away major, crucial benefits from many constituencies. 

“It is now time for people of good will to work with the Obama Administration and state leaders to keep the reform implementation process moving along so that the new law truly results in high-quality, affordable health coverage and care for all Americans.”

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org