(BOSTON, MA) – “All Americans want access to high quality affordable health care when we need it. But for too long we’ve had to contend with a broken health care system that has failed to live up to our expectations and meet our needs. That began to change a year ago today when President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law, bringing the country a giant step closer to achieving a health system that works for everyone.

“Just one year in, the ACA is already making a huge difference in the lives of many. Parents no longer have to worry about insurance companies denying coverage to a child who has a pre-existing condition. Seniors are benefitting from prescription drug savings and free preventive care. Young adults struggling with the high costs of health insurance can now get coverage under their parents’ plans. Small businesses are taking advantage of tax credits that make it possible to afford insurance for their employees. And insurance companies can no longer drop our coverage when we get sick or impose lifetime limits on the amount of care we receive. Those days are over.

“Passage of the ACA was a historic achievement. While the law is already making a difference in people’s lives, it has the potential to positively impact millions more in the coming years by making coverage affordable for those who lack it today and providing American families with the security of knowing that our health insurance will always be there when we need it. We will all benefit from critical consumer protections such as programs to contain health costs and make insurance policies more affordable, greater accountability from health insurance companies, improved choice and competition among health insurance plans, and better access to quality, affordable health care for vulnerable populations.

“The ACA is moving health care in this country in the right direction and changing people’s lives for the better. We need to continue to move forward.”

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About Community Catalyst
Community Catalyst is a national non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to quality affordable health care for all.  Since 1997, Community Catalyst has been working to build the consumer and community leadership required to transform the American health system.  With the belief that this transformation will happen when consumers are fully engaged and have an organized voice, Community Catalyst works in partnership with national, state and local consumer organizations, policymakers, and foundations, providing leadership and support to change the health care system so it serves everyone-especially vulnerable members of society.  For more information, visit www.communitycatalyst.org