The Verdict Is In: The Supreme Court Decision on Health Care Reform
Dear NCLR Supporter:
Eight American presidents have tried to advance major health reform in the United States—only one succeeded. Today, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the 2010 bill that will bring health coverage to 32 million more Americans and the only successful legislative attempt to level the health insurance playing field for those who have coverage. After the Court’s ruling, the law stands. Now it’s time to move forward and continue to make it a reality.
This is a big win for Latino health; millions of Hispanics who currently live without coverage will gain some form of affordable health insurance. The entire law was upheld as constitutional, a huge victory for our community. An important provision that would expand Medicaid was also ruled as constitutional but was limited by the Court. We will continue to analyze how this provision affects our community.
Click here or text HEALTH to 62571 to get text message updates on the analysis of this decision and how it will affect you and your family.
With major benefits already in place and the best of the changes yet to come, it is critical that the states and federal government get to work to carry out the law. Today, one out of every three people lacking health insurance in our country is Latino; that’s 16 million people! Parts of the law have already been implemented and as a result, many Americans are already reaping the benefits. Approximately 700,000 young Latino adults now have health coverage thanks to the ACA. Children with preexisting conditions can no longer be excluded from coverage. In addition, health insurance companies are now required to completely cover a number of preventive health care services at no cost.
If the health care reform law were in full effect today, six million more Hispanics would gain some form of coverage. Now that the courts have ruled, it’s time to get things moving so that Latinos and other Americans can take advantage of the benefits of the law. Click here or text HEALTH to 62571 to get text message updates on the implementation and how it will affect you and your family.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Ng’andu
Deputy Director, Health Policy Project
|
