Victory for American families

Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Affordable Care Act. This ruling is a tremendous victory for both American families and the health care justice movement; affirming the constitutionality of the entire law and allowing us to move forward on building a better, fairer health care system.

Despite our opponents’ relentless efforts to dismantle the law, President Obama, and thousands of health care justice advocates around the country, have stood behind the Affordable Care Act and pressed forward with its implementation.

For too long the health care system in America was a system that only worked for those who could afford it, were healthy enough, or had the right job, leaving millions of Americans uninsured or underinsured. But that all changed in March of 2010 when President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. Today’s ruling provides long-overdue peace of mind for our families—the peace of mind that only comes when our loved ones are sure they can receive the health care they need, when they need it:

• No one will be denied health coverage or charged a discriminatory premium due to a pre-existing condition, such as asthma or diabetes;
• Young adults can stay on their parents’ health plans until they turn 26;
• Women will no longer be charged discriminatory premiums;
• Seniors and people with disabilities will continue to receive free preventive benefits under Medicare;
• Millions of uninsured people will gain health coverage; and
• Moderate- and middle-income families will receive tax-credit subsidies so that insurance premiums are affordable.

This is a monumental victory for the health care movement, a victory that could not have happened without you and the President refusing to give in to opponents. Now it’s time to move forward on implementing the rest of the law so that access to affordable, quality health care can become a reality for all Americans.