Working to Implement the Affordable
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/17/weekly-address-working-implement-affordable-care-act
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been visiting with Americans
across the country to talk about what we need to do to secure a better bargain
for the middle class.
We need to rebuild an economy that rewards hard work and responsibility;
an economy built firmly on the cornerstones of middle-class life. Good jobs.
A good education. A home of your
own. A secure retirement. And quality, affordable health care that’s
there when you need it.
Right now, we’re well on our way to fully implementing the
Affordable Care Act. And in the next few
months, we’ll reach a couple milestones with real meaning for millions of
Americans.
If you’re one of the 85% of Americans who already have
insurance, you’ve already got new benefits and protections under this law that
you didn’t before. Free checkups,
mammograms, and contraceptive care.
Discounted prescription medicine on Medicare. The fact you can stay on your parents’ plan
until you turn 26. And much, much
more. And it’s okay if you’re not a fan
of the Affordable Care Act – you can take advantage of these things anyway.
If you don’t have insurance, beginning on October 1st,
private plans will actually compete for your business. You can comparison shop in an online
marketplace, just like you would for cell phone plans or plane tickets. You may be eligible for new tax credits to
help you afford the plan that’s right for you.
And if you’re in the up to half of all Americans who’ve been sick or
have a preexisting condition, this law means that beginning January 1st,
insurance companies have to cover you – and they can’t use your medical history
to charge you more than anybody else.
You can find out more about the law, and how to sign up to
buy your own coverage right now at HealthCare.gov. Tell your friends and neighbors without
insurance about it, too. And tell your
kids that there’s a new, easy way to buy affordable plans specifically tailored
to young people.
Many Members of Congress, in both parties, are working hard
to inform their constituents about these benefits, protections, and affordable
plans. But there’s also a group of
Republicans in Congress working hard to confuse people, and making empty
promises that they’ll either shut down the health care law, or, if they don’t
get their way, they’ll shut down the government.
Think about that.
They’re actually having a debate between hurting Americans who will no
longer be denied affordable care just because they’ve been sick – and harming
the economy and millions of Americans in the process. And many Republicans are more concerned with
how badly this debate will hurt them politically than they are with how badly
it’ll hurt the country.
A lot of Republicans seem to believe that if they can gum up
the works and make this law fail, they’ll somehow be sticking it to me. But they’d just be sticking it to you.
Some even say that if you call their office with questions
about the law, they’ll refuse to help.
Call me old-fashioned – but that’s lousy constituent service. And it’s not what you deserve.
Your health insurance isn’t something to play politics
with. Our economy isn’t something to
play politics with. This isn’t a
game. This is about the economic
security of millions of families.
See, in the states where governors and legislatures and
insurers are working together to implement this law properly – states like
California, New York, Colorado and Maryland – competition and consumer choice
are actually making insurance affordable.
So I’m going to keep doing everything in my power to make
sure this law works as it’s supposed to.
Because in the United
States of America, health insurance isn’t a
privilege – it is your right. And we’re
going to keep it that way.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/08/17/weekly-address-working-implement-affordable-care-act?utm_source=snapshot&utm_medium=email&utm_content=081713-topper