06.17.2021 / Statement
Statement: SCOTUS Delivers for Families by Preserving the Affordable Care
Washington, D.C. – Frederick Isasi, Executive Director of Families USA, issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to affirm the Affordable Care Act.
SCOTUS Delivers for Families by Preserving the Affordable Care
“Health care for families in America no longer hangs in the balance. The Supreme Court has now joined the vast majority of Americans who support the health reform law our country passed a decade ago. Hundreds of millions of people with preexisting conditions can sleep soundly tonight, knowing their health care protections won’t be ripped away.
“And let’s remember that this is one of the most conservative Supreme Courts in our nation’s history. The decision is strong and direct. The ACA is upheld, and partisan attacks are thrown out. This kind of strong opinion will almost certainly foreclose other craven, ideological lawsuits, and the war on the ACA may finally be over.
“The decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act’s protections will continue to ensure tens of millions of families have real, meaningful health insurance that provides them access to critical health care services and protects their financial security. For example, protections that remain include providing premium tax credits that help 9 million people afford coverage and enabling tens of millions of people with preexisting conditions to buy health insurance and not be charged more based on their health. Most importantly, the decision assures that all coverage is meaningful and includes benefits like coverage for prescription drugs, maternity care, and mental health care. And, because the ACA is still the law of the land, over 12 million people qualify for Medicaid, including adults who can’t work due to disability, families with low wages, and those that have lost jobs and income.
“These crucial protections have been vital to ensuring children, adults, seniors, and people with disabilities have access to the affordable health care they need and deserve. But with the deadliest pandemic in more than a century continuing to rage, we can’t afford to rest on our laurels when there is still more to do. It’s time for President Biden and Congress to finish the job they began more than a decade ago and pass an American Family Plan that guarantees everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, affordable, high-quality health care. This includes addressing health care industry abuses, including the outrageous prices being charged by pharmaceutical companies. In our nation, which leads the world in medical research and treatment, no one should ever again have to choose between filling a prescription and feeding their family.”
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Storytellers’ Perspectives
“This insurance has been great for me. You don’t really realize the value in it until you have it. My family and my clients depend on me, so I can’t get sick.” Stephanie Burton, 39 (Gladstone, MO)
When pursuing education to become a lawyer, Stephanie had to quit her job and lost her employer-sponsored health insurance. While her kids were able to be covered by the state, Stephanie was forced to go without coverage. As a single mother of four, she needs health insurance to stay healthy for her kids and her clients, so she got a marketplace plan as soon as she could. Stephanie says that her exchange insurance has been great for her. “This insurance has been great for me. You don’t really realize the value in it until you have it. My family and my clients depend on me, so I can’t get sick.”
“If I didn’t have the ACA, it would probably be impossible for me to find coverage that was affordable, if [I could find] any.” Savanna Braun, 25 (Houston, TX)
Savanna has multiple chronic conditions, and she is still a student, so she hasn’t been able to get a full-time job with health benefits. Being able to stay on her parents’ insurance through age 26 has allowed her to afford her exorbitantly expensive medications. “If I didn’t have the ACA, it would probably be impossible for me to find coverage that was affordable, if [I could find] any.” Before insurance kicks in, Savanna’s medications cost $155,000.
“Thanks to the ACA, I no longer have to worry about my Remicade not being covered because I have a preexisting condition.” Steve Venick, 36 (Nashville, TN)
The ACA has allowed Steve to be able to take his necessary medication for his degenerative genetic arthritic condition. He has made use of exchange insurance in the past, and he feels freedom in choosing his career path because of the ACA. “Thanks to the ACA, I no longer have to worry about my Remicade not being covered because I have a preexisting condition.”