As I`m sure you know by now, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
It was an exciting day for people with cancer, and those who care about them, because the decision protects policies that ensure they can access quality, affordable health care.
In Iowa, thanks to the health care law, already:
- More than 20,000 young people have gained coverage;
- Nearly two million residents with private insurance no longer have to worry about lifetime limits on their health coverage;
- 611,000 Iowans with private health insurance gained preventive service coverage with no cost-sharing.
And it just gets better in the years to come. By January 2014:
- Nearly one million people may benefit from a health care exchange, which provides individuals and small businesses with affordable, quality health plans;
- Insurance companies will no longer be able to discriminate against people who have been sick in the past, a benefit already extended to children.
One thing is for sure -- access to care saves lives. ACS research shows that people without health coverage are more likely than those with private insurance to be diagnosed with cancer at its more advanced stages and are less likely to survive the disease. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled, it is time for all of our elected officials in Iowa to work together in a bipartisan effort to implement the health care law as strongly as possible for cancer patients, survivors and their families.
