New Benefits Come with 3rd Anniversary of ACA

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond today released the following statement highlighting the many benefits of the Affordable Care Act at the three year anniversary of passage: “AARP is pleased by the many successes of the Affordable Care Act in the first three years since its passage and the many benefits yet to come. Americans young and old are already experiencing valuable savings and benefits that were previously unavailable or unaffordable. “Since enactment of the Affordable Care Act, more than 6.1 million people with Medicare have saved $5.7 billion on prescription drugs. By closing the drug coverage gap or ‘doughnut hole’ over time seniors are already seeing money back in their pockets – Part D enrollees who reached the gap saved an average of $706 in 2012. Further, in 2012 an estimated 34.1 million Medicare beneficiaries took advantage of newly covered preventive services and screenings at no cost to them. “For parents, extending health coverage to their children up to age 26 gives further peace of mind while allowing older children to address other expenses and worries besides healthcare costs. To date an estimated 3.1 million more young adults are covered. “And for those with private insurance, nearly 71 million Americans have received a free preventive health care service. If you’ve visited the doctor and noticed there was no co-pay for your flu shot or women’s wellness visit, you’re experiencing a benefit of the Affordable Care Act. “AARP continues to educate our members and all Americans about the many benefits of the Affordable Care Act. We are preparing for the opening of health insurance marketplaces and the end of discriminatory insurance practices such as exclusions based on pre-existing conditions and new limits on the use of age rating to charge exorbitant premiums to older Americans. As affordable care is made available to millions more Americans, AARP will continue to be a resource for information on accessing new benefits while offering tools to help consumers make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and their families.” To learn more about how the Affordable Care Act impacts you, visit the AARP Health Law Guide at www.aarp.org/healthlawguide.