4 years later – the Affordable Care Act is working for Wisconsin
Four years ago Congress passed and President Obama signed historic health care reforms that expanded access to quality, affordable health care and strengthened protections for consumers against insurance company abuses.
The Affordable Care Act is strengthening the health and economic security of American families by empowering them with more choices and stronger health coverage. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions or drop coverage if you get sick, and millions of Americans already have affordable health insurance.
By the Numbers - the Affordable Care Act's impact in Wisconsin:
- 1,459,000 individuals on private insurance have gained coverage for at least one free preventive health care service such as a mammogram, birth control, or an immunization in 2011 and 2012.
- 713,095 people with Medicare have received at least one preventive service at no out of pocket cost in 2013 alone.
- Over 2 million individuals, including up to 310,000 children, with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, cancer, or diabetes - will no longer have to worry about being denied coverage or charged higher prices because of their health status or history.
- Over 1 million Wisconsinites have gained expanded mental health and substance use disorder benefits and/or federal parity protections.
- 2,142,000 Wisconsinites no longer have to worry about annual limits, and individuals no longer have to worry about having their health benefits cut off after they reach a lifetime limit on benefits.
- 75,408 seniors and people with disabilities have saved on average $890 on prescription medications in 2013 as the health care law closes Medicare's so-called "donut hole."
- 56% of those signing up for coverage on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act are women, who can no longer be denied health insurance for a pre-existing condition and won't be charged more for this coverage just because they are women.
- Over 950,000 women in Wisconsin have guaranteed access to free preventive health care services.
- $54,198,000 has been awarded to Wisconsin health centers to provide primary care, establish new sites, and renovate existing centers to expand access to quality health care. Wisconsin has approximately 100 health center sites, which served about 299,000 individuals in 2012.
We know that some politicians here in Washington will carry on their calls for repealing and defunding the Affordable Care Act because they want the health care law to fail. We know that Republicans in Congress will continue to block efforts to fix problems in the law because they won't compromise on anything short of totally repealing the law. And we know that they have proposed no replacement plan, which would mean insurance companies could go back to refusing to cover people with pre-existing conditions and cutting off coverage to those with serious illnesses. But we aren't going back to those days when insurance companies could drop your coverage because you get sick, get older, or have a baby. We aren't going back to the days when they were charging whatever they want and jacking up premiums and deductibles.
The health law isn't perfect, but the American people deserve to know their coverage will be there when they need it most. In Wisconsin, our state motto is one word: "Forward." Throughout our state's history, that motto has rung true in our leadership in extending high-quality, affordable health care. Wisconsin has a proud tradition of advancing health care reforms and Tammy is committed to working across party lines to make sure that America's health care law works for Wisconsin and fix what doesn't.
In the United States of America, health care should be a right guaranteed to all, not a privilege reserved for the few. That is what we have fought for and will continue to fight for as we move the Affordable Care Act forward.
