After disappointing roll-out, the ACA is working

After a disappointing roll-out both on the national level and here in Maryland, a new wave of evidence is suggesting that the healthcare reform law is finally working as intended. In fact, not only do more Americans have health insurance, they are getting better insurance at a lower rate. 
In the Second District alone:

• 25,000 previously uninsured residents now have access to quality healthcare coverage at affordable rates.  That’s a 35 percent decrease in uninsured residents in the district that I represent. 
• About 41,000 children whose preexisting medical conditions disqualified them from insurance are now covered.
• Nearly 290,000 district residents can get free preventive care and 236,000 have plans with no annual or lifetime coverage limits.
• More than 16,000 residents have received insurance rebates totaling nearly $6.9 million thanks to a provision that requires insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of premiums on medical care – not salaries.

Of course, more work remains. We must learn from the failures of the initial enrollment period and hire more application counselors to help people enroll in-person during the next period. Enrollment Websites must be user-friendly and able to meet the demand. My hope is that even more Americans will be able to take advantage of the benefits so many are already reaping this November.