What is the Affordable Care Act? How does health reform impact me and how do I talk about it?

1. The Affordable Care Act
Making health care more secure and
returning control to consumers
1

2. Freedom:
• Every American should have the freedom to control their own
medical decisions without interference from insurance
companies.
• Health insurance industry discrimination against Americans with
preexisting conditions violates fundamental rights
Access to Health Care is an
American Value

3. Access to Health Care is an
American Value
Opportunity:
• Americans who lack access to stable
and affordable health coverage do
not have a fair shot at the American
dream. They face a constant threat
of having their lives and careers
devastated by health disasters that
also become financial disasters.
• Every American should have the
opportunity to change jobs or start a
small business without losing health
coverage.

4. Access to Health Care is an
American Value
Responsibility:
• Everyone should take responsibility for getting health care
coverage for themselves and their families so long as it is made
affordable and accessible.
• The insurance industry should be able to make reasonable profit
but in return should be held accountable by not profiting from
abusive practices and discrimination.

5. The Affordable Care Act
The national health care law
advances American health care values
--Passed March 23, 2010
--Reforms Come in 2 Stages
But first, we’re talking about
this because…

6. It’s the law of the land and it’s time to move forward. The
private market failed to guarantee access to affordable health
coverage. For the first time everyone will have somewhere to
go to get good coverage at a reasonable price, no matter what.

8. Stages of Reform

9. Stage 1 Early Reforms
The Affordable Care Act holds insurance industry
and government responsible for:
• Preventive care coverage & screenings with no co-pays
or deductibles
• Young adults can stay on parents private insurance
policies until age 26
• Preventive care without cost sharing for seniors on
Medicare

10. Stage 1 Early Reforms
Insurance industry violations of health care freedom
already outlawed by the Affordable Care Act
• Preexisting condition exclusions (kids now/everyone in
2014)
• Lifetime limits
• Dropping coverage after a person gets sick
• Excessive insurance industry profits and overhead capped

11. Sami’s Story
“My 7-year-old son, Sami, suffers from a
disease that causes tumors to grow all
over his body. Sami’s treatments could
not continue if we hit our insurance
policy’s life time limit. Thanks to the
Affordable Care Act, insurance companies
can no longer impose lifetime limits or
deny health coverage to children like Sami
with preexisting conditions. We can’t go
back to being on our own against the
insurance companies.”
--Tracy, Appleton, Wisconsin
.

12. The Affordable Care Act ends health
insurance industry assault on
opportunity and freedom of 1.3 million
Wisconsinites
• More than 1.3 million
Wisconsinites under the age of
65 have been diagnosed with pre-
existing conditions that, without
health reform, could lead to
denials of coverage or
discriminatory rates.
• As we age, the risk of insurance
industry discrimination escalates.

13. Just Some of the Examples of Preexisting
Conditions

14. Gender Discrimination

15. Competitive Health Marketplace
for Middle Class
• Created by each state, or federal
government if state refuses (Wisconsin
refused)
• You choose your own private insurance on
a website, like Travelocity or Consumer
Reports.
• Consumers in control, with clear
information and real competition.
• Members of Congress offered
same choices we have.
• Open to all Americans who don’t have affordable health
coverage options now or in the future.

16. Stage 2 Full Reform:
Guaranteed affordable
health care (2014) that can
never be taken away!
•Health coverage guaranteed to everyone who buys
insurance on their own or works for a small business
through new consumer-friendly competitive marketplaces
•For lower income Wisconsinites, billions in federal dollars
available to states to fill the holes in BadgerCare.

17. Competitive Health
Marketplace for Middle
Class
• Coverage more secure: bans denials of
coverage due to preexisting conditions or
dropping coverage when someone get sick.
• Coverage more affordable: premium tax
credits on a sliding scale.
• New options, such as nonprofit member
owned health insurance cooperatives.
• No discriminatory pricing based on medical
condition, age, and gender.

18. Remy’s Story
“I own a small café. Over 20 years ago I
beat cancer, but ever since then no
insurance company would sell me a policy
because my cancer is called a preexisting
condition. Starting in 2014 under the
Affordable Care Act, no insurance
company will be allowed to discriminate
against me because I’m a cancer
survivor.”
--Remy, Pepin, Wisconsin

19. BadgerCare for low income
Wisconsinites
• Seeks to end complicated eligibility requirements &
waiting lists: everyone below an established income line
would get BadgerCare.
• HOWEVER: The Supreme Court gave states the ability
to reject the additional federal money for Medicaid
(BadgerCare).
• Governor Walker plans to reject the new Medicaid
money. (The Legislature can change this).
• Walker’s approach costs Wisconsin $100 million more
in this budget to cover 87,000 fewer people.

20. Over 170,000 Statewide Would Be
Eligible If We Take the Money

21. Before You Assume This is
A Partisan Issue…
• Chris Christie, New Jersey, (R)
• Jan Brewer, Arizona, (R)
• Rick Scott, Florida, (R)
• Rick Snyder, Michigan, (R)
• Brian Sandoval, Nevada, (R)
• Susana Martinez, New Mexico, (R)
• Jack Dalrymple, North Dakota, (R)
• John Kasich, Ohio, (R)
• Lincoln Chaffee, Rhode Island, (I)
Conservative Governors Who Have Accepted Federal
Medicaid Funds

22. Terry’s Story
"I'm a personal care worker, I work at a
group home and makes $9 an hour
taking care of people's health. Even
though I work to keep other people
healthy, I do not have affordable health
care myself. I have not been able to
qualify for BadgerCare, in fact I'm just
over number 141,000 on the waiting
list. I'm father of three, I want to give
my children their chance at the
American dream but without health
insurance, we're looking at an
uncertain future."
-Terry O, Milwaukee

23. Why Is This Even An
Issue?
• Big Insurance wants to repeal health
reform so it can continue to profit
through discrimination.
• Some unscrupulous politicians want
to sabotage the implementation of
health reform in order to further
their political ambitions.
•There are ideological opponents who refuse to accept health reform
and cannot be swayed by any amount of facts showing the benefits.

24. The Affordable Care Act is
Worth Protecting
Insurance companies must now play fairly.
It’s the law.
• PROTECTION: Working families no longer can be denied coverage for
preexisting conditions, risk losing their coverage when they get sick or hit a
“lifetime limit”
• PREVENTION: Preventative care must be covered free of charge by
insurance companies--including mammograms for women and wellness visits
for seniors.

25. The Affordable Care Act is Worth
Protecting
Insurance companies must now play fairly.
It’s the law.
• FAIRNESS: Millions of Americans will receive a rebate because their
insurance company spent too much of their premium on administrative
costs or CEO bonuses.
• PEACE OF MIND: Families will not be forced into bankruptcy when
someone gets sick, and can get affordable coverage no matter where they
choose to work or what gender they are; with no loopholes or fine print in
your policy!

27. Questions?
• Kevin Kane
Healthcare Organizer
Citizen Action of Wisconsin
414 550 8280 (cell)
kevin.kane@citizenactionwi.org
facebook.com/got.healthcare
GotHealthcareWI.com