Affordable Care Act Upheld by the Supreme Court

Today’s Supreme Court ruling makes clear – from both Republican and Democratic Justices – that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional.  Period.  Full stop.

This is incredible news for Americans who can now rest assured that they can continue to get their health care benefits.  Senior citizens remain safe from the donut hole. People still can’t be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions or be thrown at the mercy of insurance companies.  Young adults can remain on their parents insurance until they’re 26.

The Tea Party, Republicans in Congress and Mitt Romney need to hear this message loud and clear and stop their partisan attempts to take away health care from tens of millions of Americans.

It is time for everyone to move forward from these partisan battles and focus on fully implementing the Affordable Care Act.

Below are some facts on what the Affordable Care Act has already done:

• Expanded access to insurance: 3.1 million young adults are insured because of the ACA.

• Closed the “donut hole”: More than 5.2 million Medicare beneficiaries saved more than $5.2 billion on prescription drugs because of the ACA.

• Provided seniors with free preventive services: More than 32.5 million seniors received preventive care like mammograms and colonoscopies for free in 2011. And 14.3 million have already received at least one preventive service at no cost during the first five months of 2012.

• Kept children healthy and insured: As many as 17 million children with pre-existing conditions already cannot be denied coverage nor have lifetime limits placed on their coverage.

• Expanded preventive care: Approximately 86 million Americans received no-cost preventive care services such as mammograms and colonoscopies.

• Expanded coverage for those with pre-existing conditions: About 60,000 Americans who were denied coverage now have insurance through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.

• Stopped unreasonable premium increases: Now, insurance companies must publicly justify raising rates by 10 percent or more. HHS has granted millions of dollars to states to bolster their ability to stop unreasonable premium increases.

• Held insurers accountable for excessive profits: Insurers must now spend 80 percent of premium dollars on health care coverage and not advertising or executive bonuses. State regulators reported that some companies “have not applied for premium increases and are making adjustments to lower premiums.”
• Eliminated lifetime limits: 105 million Americans no longer have lifetime limits to their insurance coverage.