Affordable Care Act has had lifesaving impact on millions of Americans

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) today applauded the Supreme Court's decision which upheld the life-saving provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Slaughter, one of the leading supporters of the ACA, has been in the forefront of the effort to improve access and quality of health care for American families.

"I am very pleased that the Supreme Court has upheld the landmark Affordable Care Act," said Slaughter. "I was proud to bring this bill to the floor of the House of Representatives as Chairwoman of the Rules Committee in 2009, and I continue to be proud of the ways in which the law has improved health care access for millions of Americans. We worked long and hard to protect Medicare's guarantee of quality health care for our seniors and to make health care more affordable for American families. The ACA also ensures that being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition and a justification for higher premiums.

"This groundbreaking legislation was never about politics – it was about saving lives and safeguarding the health and wellbeing of American families. I know that much work remains to be done but I am gratified to know that we are a step closer to ensuring that no American will live in fear of losing their home and everything they own because they or a member of their family is stricken by illness."

Because of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, Americans are already seeing lower costs and better coverage:

• 54 million Americans in private plans have received one or more free preventive services.
• In addition, in 2011, 32.5 million seniors received one or more free preventive services. So far in 2012, 14 million seniors have already received these services.
• 105 million Americans no longer have a lifetime limit on their coverage.
• Up to 17 million children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage by insurers.
• 6.6 million young adults up to age 26 have taken advantage of the law to obtain health insurance through their parents' plan, of whom 3.1 million would be uninsured without this coverage.
• 5.1 million seniors in the 'donut hole' have saved $3.2 billion on their prescription drugs, an average of $635 per senior.
• In 2011, 2.3 million seniors had a free Annual Wellness Visit under Medicare. So far in 2012, 1.1 million seniors have already had this free visit.
• In 2011, 360,000 small employers used the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit to help them afford health insurance for 2 million workers.

Slaughter is a champion of the life-saving changes that have been implemented as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Thanks to these lifesaving provisions, children can stay on their parents' insurance until the age of 26, insurance companies can no longer deny a person health insurance, and millions of seniors now have free access to life saving health care- all while reducing the federal deficit by billions of dollars.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, in New York's 28th district:

• 5,500 young adults in the district now have health insurance.
• 10,400 seniors in the district received prescription drug discounts worth $6.7 million, an average discount of $640 per senior.
• 70,000 seniors in the district received Medicare preventive services without paying any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles.
• 22,000 children and 100,000 adults now have health insurance that covers preventive services without paying any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles.
• 430 small businesses in the district received tax credits to help maintain or expand health care coverage for their employees.
• $10.9 million in public health grants have been given to community health centers, hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare providers in the district to improve the community's health.
• 7,000 to 32,000 children with preexisting health conditions can no longer be denied coverage by health insurers.

For more on Slaughter's work to protect public health, click here.