Resistance: Protecting the ACA

The Affordable Care Act (aka ‘Obamacare’) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010, and upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28, 2012. The ACA ensures the following:

• Insurance companies can no longer deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, cancel existing healthcare when a customer becomes ill with a costly condition, or impose limits on annual or lifetime coverage.
• Expands Medicaid and provides financial assistance to lower-income households to help pay for insurance coverage.
• Large employers are required to provide insurance coverage. Small businesses are offered a tax credit to help pay for employee health insurance.
• Insurance companies must cover preventative services and immunizations.
• Provide a payment and service delivery model that improves the quality of care, while reducing overall costs.

The ACA works!

• 20 million previously uninsured Americans now have health care coverage
• The ACA expansion of Medicaid extended coverage to 14 million more Americans
• More than 90% of the U.S. now has insurance coverage. Prior to the ACA, around 50% of Americans had health insurance.
• Health care prices have risen at the slowest rate in 50 years since the law passed

(Source: December 2016 U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices Report)

On January 12, 2017, Republicans introduced a vote to gut the budget of ACA, and have no replacement plan in place. Senator Mitch McConnell, majority leader of the senate, introduced this vote, along with blatant lies about the effect of the ACA on Americans. (Source: CongressionalRecord of Proceedings)

Senator Mitch McConnell

Phone: (502) 582-6304

Email: https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactform

Contact your senator today: http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/

Washington State Senators: (Be sure to thank Senators Cantwell and Murray for protecting the ACA!)

Senator Maria Cantwell

Phone: (202) 224-3441

https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email/form

Senator Patty Murray

Phone (202) 224-2621

https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme

Transcript for phone/email:

Hello Senator _____,

Please do not repeal the ACA.

Quality, affordable health care is not a privilege, but a basic human right. Millions of Americans have benefited from the positive changes ensured by the ACA. Do not repeal the Affordable Care Act. Instead, continue to improve upon a plan that is affordable for all Americans, includes full coverage of benefits, and leaves all consumer protections in place.

(Your Name)