The Affordable Care ActMaking health care more secure and

returning control to consumers

1

Freedom:

• Every American should have the freedom to control their own medical decisions without interference from insurance companies.

• Health insurance industry discrimination against Americans with preexisting conditions violates fundamental rights

Access to Health Care is anAmerican Value

Access to Health Care is anAmerican Value

Opportunity:

• Americans who lack access to stable and affordable health coverage do not have a fair shot at the American dream.  They face a constant threat of having their lives and careers devastated by health disasters that also become financial disasters.

• Every American should have the opportunity to change jobs or start a small business without losing health coverage.

Access to Health Care is anAmerican Value

Responsibility:

• Everyone should take responsibility for getting health care coverage for themselves and their families so long as it is made affordable and accessible.

• The insurance industry should be able to make reasonable profit but in return should be held accountable by not profiting from abusive practices and discrimination.

The Affordable Care Act

The national health care lawadvances American health care values

--Passed March 23, 2010

--Reforms Come in 2 Stages

But first, we’re talking about this because…

It’s the law of the land and it’s time to move forward. The private market failed to guarantee

access to affordable health coverage. For the first time everyone will have somewhere to go to get good coverage at a reasonable price, no matter

what.

Stages of Reform

Stage 1 Early Reforms

The Affordable Care Act holds insurance industry and government responsible for:

• Preventive care coverage & screenings with no co-pays or deductibles

• Young adults can stay on parents private insurance policies until age 26

• Preventive care without cost sharing for seniors on Medicare

Stage 1 Early Reforms

Insurance industry violations of health care freedom already outlawed by the Affordable Care Act

• Preexisting condition exclusions (kids now/everyone in 2014)

• Lifetime limits

• Dropping coverage after a person gets sick

• Excessive insurance industry profits and overhead capped

Sami’s Story“My 7-year-old son, Sami, suffers

from a disease that causes tumors to grow all over his body. Sami’s treatments could not continue if we hit our insurance policy’s life time limit. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can no longer impose lifetime limits or deny health coverage to children like Sami with preexisting conditions. We can’t go back to being on our own against the insurance companies.”

--Tracy, Appleton, Wisconsin.

The Affordable Care Act ends health insurance industry assault

on opportunity and freedom of 1.3 million Wisconsinites

• More than 1.3 million Wisconsinites under the age of 65 have been diagnosed with pre-existing conditions that, without health reform, could lead to denials of coverage or discriminatory rates.

• As we age, the risk of insurance industry discrimination escalates.

Just Some of the Examples of Preexisting Conditions

Gender Discrimination

Competitive Health Marketplace for Middle

Class

• Created by each state, or federal government if state refuses (Wisconsin refused)

• You choose your own private insurance on a website, like Travelocity or Consumer Reports.

• Consumers in control, with clear information and real competition.

• Members of Congress offered same choices we

have.

• Open to all Americans who don’t have affordable health coverage options now or in the future.

Stage 2 Full Reform:

Guaranteed affordablehealth care (2014) that

can never be taken away!•Health coverage guaranteed to everyone who

buys insurance on their own or works for a small business through new consumer-friendly competitive marketplaces

•For lower income Wisconsinites, billions in federal dollars available to states to fill the holes in BadgerCare.

Competitive Health Marketplace for

Middle Class• Coverage more secure: bans denials

of coverage due to preexisting conditions or dropping coverage when someone get sick.

• Coverage more affordable: premium tax credits on a sliding scale.

• New options, such as nonprofit member owned health insurance cooperatives.

• No discriminatory pricing based on medical condition, age, and gender.

Remy’s Story“I own a small café. Over 20 years

ago I beat cancer, but ever since then no insurance company would sell me a policy because my cancer is called a preexisting condition. Starting in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act, no insurance company will be allowed to discriminate against me because I’m a cancer survivor.”

--Remy, Pepin, Wisconsin

BadgerCare for low income Wisconsinites

• Seeks to end complicated eligibility requirements & waiting lists: everyone below an established income line would get BadgerCare.

• HOWEVER: The Supreme Court gave states the ability to reject the additional federal money for Medicaid (BadgerCare).

• Governor Walker plans to reject the new Medicaid money. (The Legislature can change this).

• Walker’s approach costs Wisconsin $100 million more in this budget to cover 87,000 fewer people.

Over 170,000 Statewide Would Be Eligible If We Take

the Money

Before You Assume This is A Partisan

Issue…

• Chris Christie, New Jersey, (R)

• Jan Brewer, Arizona, (R)

• Rick Scott, Florida, (R)

• Rick Snyder, Michigan, (R)

• Brian Sandoval, Nevada, (R)

• Susana Martinez, New Mexico, (R)

• Jack Dalrymple, North Dakota, (R)

• John Kasich, Ohio, (R)

• Lincoln Chaffee, Rhode Island, (I)

Conservative Governors Who Have Accepted Federal Medicaid Funds

Terry’s Story"I'm a personal care worker, I work at a

group home and makes $9 an hour taking care of people's health. Even though I work to keep other people healthy, I do not have affordable health care myself. I have not been able to qualify for BadgerCare, in fact I'm just over number 141,000 on the waiting list. I'm father of three, I want to give my children their chance at the American dream but without health insurance, we're looking at an uncertain future."

-Terry O, Milwaukee

Why Is This Even An Issue?

• Big Insurance wants to repeal health reform so it can continue to profit through discrimination.

• Some unscrupulous politicians want to sabotage the implementation of health reform in order to further their political ambitions.

•There are ideological opponents who refuse to accept health reform and cannot be swayed by any amount of facts showing the benefits.

The Affordable Care Act is Worth Protecting

Insurance companies must now play fairly.

It’s the law.

• PROTECTION: Working families no longer can be denied coverage for preexisting conditions, risk losing their coverage

when they get sick or hit a “lifetime limit”

• PREVENTION: Preventative care must be covered free of charge by insurance companies--including mammograms for

women and wellness visits for seniors.

The Affordable Care Act is Worth Protecting

Insurance companies must now play fairly.

It’s the law.

• FAIRNESS: Millions of Americans will receive a rebate because their insurance company spent too much of their

premium on administrative costs or CEO bonuses.

• PEACE OF MIND: Families will not be forced into bankruptcy when someone gets sick, and can get affordable coverage no matter where they choose to work or what gender they

are; with no loopholes or fine print in your policy!

Questions?

• Kevin Kane

Healthcare Organizer

Citizen Action of Wisconsin

414 550 8280 (cell)

kevin.kane@citizenactionwi.org

facebook.com/got.healthcare

GotHealthcareWI.com