WASHINGTON - Two years since the enactment of the landmark health reform law, millions of Americans are already benefitting from better coverage and lower costs. With continued rollout of the law, the benefits to Americans of all ages will only grow. Statements from Ways and Means Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) and Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Pete Stark (D-CA) are below.
Rep. Levin: “The landmark reforms in the Affordable Care Act are putting Americans in control of their health care, with tens of millions of families around the country already benefiting. It is far past time that Congressional Republicans turned their sights from repealing these vital measures and toward spurring job growth. Americans oppose repeal for good reason: The new law is already helping millions of seniors, women and young adults, with the most important reforms yet to come."
Rep. Stark: "Two years after becoming law, health reform is already helping millions of Americans and their families. Insurance companies won't be able to deny coverage because of a pre-existing condition or drop you when you get sick. Young adults can stay on their parents' insurance plan until age 26. Seniors now have an annual wellness visit and preventive screening at no cost and are benefitting from lower prescription drug costs. Republicans' call to take down the health reform law would undo all these benefits and put insurance companies back in charge. Americans don't want to return to those dark days, and I'll continue the fight to protect the health care law at every turn."
Health Reform by the Numbers:
• 86 million Americans, including both seniors in Medicare and Americans under age 65 in private plans, have received one or more free preventive services, such as check-ups and cancer screenings.
• 105 million Americans have had a lifetime limit on their coverage eliminated.
• Up to 17 million children who have pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage by insurers.
• 2.5 million additional young adults up to age 26 now have health insurance.
• 5.1 million seniors in the ‘donut hole’ have received savings on their prescription drugs.
• $3.2 billion is the amount that seniors in the ‘donut hole’ have saved on their prescription drugs, or an average of $635 per senior.
• 2.3 million seniors have taken advantage of a free Annual Wellness Visit under Medicare.
• 360,000 small employers have used the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit to help them afford health insurance for 2 million workers in 2011.
