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Former CA Insurance Commissioner Congressman Garamendi Says Affordable Care Act Improving Health Care Access & Affordability for Millions of Americans on One Year Anniversary

September 23, 2011

PatientsBillOfRights.JPGCongressman Garamendi explains how local residents will benefit from new protections in the Patient's Bill of Rights. Click here for the video.


WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA), California's Insurance Commissioner for eight years, today is happy to report that one year after the Patient's Bill of Rights in the Affordable Care Act went into effect, millions of Americans are benefiting from the improved coverage and lower costs provided by the Act.

The Patient's Bill of Rights became effective for all new plans beginning September 23, 2010. Now, one year later, all Americans with private health plans are receiving the protections of the Patient's Bill of Rights.

"As California's Insurance Commissioner for eight years, I've seen firsthand how, if left unchecked, the rapacious greed of insurance companies can destroy lives and bankrupt families. Two million Americans every year suffer from bankruptcies caused by our profit driven health care system. That's why in one of my first acts as a Member of Congress, I was proud to vote for the Patient's Bill of Rights," Congressman Garamendi said.

"While there is always room for improvement, let there be no doubt: Americans, including seniors, young adults, women, and small business owners, today have access to much better and more affordable health coverage because of the Affordable Care Act."

Under the Patient's Bill of Rights, if you are one of the 165 million Americans with private insurance, you are now receiving the following protections:

You can no longer be arbitrarily dropped from coverage by your insurance company simply because you get sick or become pregnant.

Your insurance company can no longer place a lifetime limit on your coverage.

Your insurance company can no longer place low annual limits on your coverage.

If you are under age 65 and in a new plan, you are now receiving free key preventive services.

In addition, because of the Patient’s Bill of Rights:

If you are a young adult, you can now stay on your parents' health plan until your 26th birthday, if you do not have coverage of your own. Because of this provision, one million additional young people have gained coverage over the last year.

If you have a child under age 19, they can no longer be denied coverage by an insurance company for having a "pre-existing condition." Up to 17 million children with pre-existing conditions are now protected from discrimination.

In addition to the Patient's Bill of Rights, the Affordable Care Act also provided new Medicare benefits for America's seniors, which became effective on January 1, 2011. These new Medicare benefits include the following:

Seniors are now receiving a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs when they are in the Medicare Part D 'donut hole' coverage gap. Nearly 1.3 million seniors have already received the discount.

Seniors are now receiving free key preventive health services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, under Medicare. Nearly 19 million seniors have already received one or more free preventive services.

Seniors are now receiving a free Annual Wellness Visit under Medicare. 1.3 million seniors have already taken advantage of the new free Annual Wellness Visit.