(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following
statement on tomorrow’s anniversary of the Affordable Care Act being signed
into law.
“One
year ago, I stood with a little boy from Washington state named Marcelas Owens
as we watched President Obama sign health care reform into law. More than
10,000 Washington state residents had sent me their health care stories—about
their troubles accessing affordable care, paying for prescription drugs, or
covering their employees. And thanks to this important law, our health
care system is now working better for them and millions more in Washington
state and across the country.
“Thanks
to health care reform, seniors across our state are receiving checks to help
them pay for their prescription drugs, kids can stay on their parents health
care until the age of 26, children with pre-existing conditions can no longer
be denied coverage, and small business owners are getting tax credits to
help cover their employees. And for the first time, insurance companies
will now have to compete for the business of the American people.
“The
first year of health care reform has moved us in the right direction, but the
work is far from over. As new programs are put in place over the next few years
to help Washington state families get the care they need at a cost they can
afford, I am going to watch closely to make sure they continue working the way
they were intended to. And I will work with anyone who wants to make additional
improvements to the health care system to make it work better for our families,
seniors, and small business owners.”
Information
below released by the White House on March 21, 2011:
See the full report on the benefits of health care reform for Washington
state
As
One Year Anniversary of Health Reform Law Approaches, White House Report
Outlines Benefits for Washington
As the Obama
Administration marks the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the
Affordable Care Act, the White House today issued a report highlighting the
benefits of health reform for Washington residents. Signed into law by
President Obama on March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act has given Washington
residents more freedom and control over their health care choices.
The Affordable Care Act
is:
Reducing costs for
seniors and strengthening Medicare.
More than 62,543
Washington residents who hit the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap known
as the “donut hole” received $250 tax-free rebates, and will receive a 50%
discount on brand-name prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole this
year. By 2020, the law will close the donut hole completely. And nearly
all 44 million beneficiaries who have Medicare, including 827,000 in
Washington, can now receive free preventive services – like mammograms and
colonoscopies – as well as a free annual wellness visit from their doctor
Offering new coverage
options.
Insurance companies are
now required to allow parents to keep their children up to age 26 without
job-based coverage on their insurance plans. An estimated 25,900 young adults
in Washington could gain insurance coverage as a result of the law.
Additionally, most insurance companies are now banned from denying coverage to
children because of a pre-existing condition. An estimated 372,000 kids
with a pre-existing condition in Washington will be protected because of this
provision.
Lowering costs for
small businesses.
The law provides $40
billion of tax credits to up to 4 million small businesses, including up to
106,052 in Washington to help offset the costs of purchasing coverage for their
employees and make premiums more affordable.
Improving the quality
of coverage.
All Americans with
insurance are now free from worrying about losing their insurance due to a
mistake on an application, or having it capped unexpectedly if someone is in an
accident or becomes sick. The law bans insurance companies from imposing
lifetime dollar limits on health benefits – freeing cancer patients and
individuals suffering from other chronic diseases from having to worry about
going without treatment because of their lifetime limits. The law also
restricts the use of annual limits and bans them completely in 2014. This
will protect 4.1 million Washington residents with private insurance coverage
from these limits.
Providing flexibility
and resources to States.
The Affordable Care Act
also gives States the flexibility and resources they need to implement the law
in the way that works for them. Under the law, States have received millions of
dollars in Federal support for their work to hold down insurance premiums,
build competitive insurance marketplaces, provide insurance to early retirees,
and strengthen their public health and prevention efforts. So far,
Washington has received $84.6 million from the Affordable Care Act. Grants to
Washington include:
- $748,500 to
support a consumer assistance program - $1 million to
plan for a Health Insurance Exchange - $1 million to
crack down on unreasonable insurance premium increases - $31.9 million to
support capital development in community health centers - $8.5 million from
the Prevention and Public Health Fund - $34.1 million in
Therapeutic Discovery Project Program Tax Credits and Grants - $334,295 for
Medicare improvements for patients and providers - $3.7 million for
demonstration projects to address health professions workforce needs - $1.8 million for
Maternal, Infant and Childhood Home Visiting - $1.6 million for
Pregnancy Assistance Fund programs
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