Affordable Care Act extended free preventive care to 71 million Americans

HHS Press Office ^ | March 18, 2013 | Kathleen Sebelius

[mdittmar]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2013

Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343

Affordable Care Act extended free preventive care to 71 million Americans with private health insurance

Health Care Law’s third anniversary sees health costs slowing down, more value for consumers

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that about 71 million Americans in private health insurance plans received coverage for at least one free preventive health care service, such as a mammogram or flu shot, in 2011 and 2012 because of the Affordable Care Act. The new data was released in a report from HHS today.

Additionally, an estimated 34 million Americans in traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans have received at least one preventive service, such as an annual wellness visit at no out of pocket cost because of the health care law.

Taken together, this means about 105 million Americans with private health plans and Medicare beneficiaries have been helped by the Affordable Care Act’s prevention coverage improvements.

Preventive services, consumer protections, and other reforms under the Affordable Care Act are giving millions of Americans of all ages more value for their health care dollars and contributing to the slowest growth in health care costs in 50 years.

“Preventing illnesses before they become serious and more costly to treat helps Americans of all ages stay healthier,” Secretary Sebelius said.  “No longer do Americans have to choose between paying for preventive care and groceries.”

Secretary Sebelius released the preventive services report as HHS celebrates the Affordable Care Act’s third anniversary this week.  The law is keeping down costs and providing more value for consumers and taxpayers through new consumer protections, holding insurance companies accountable, building a smarter health care system, and providing seniors with vital savings on their prescription drugs.

The Affordable Care Act is giving Americans better value for their health insurance plans by:

• Eliminating lifetime dollar caps on essential health benefits, and phasing out annual caps. About 105 million Americans no longer have to fear their benefits will disappear when they need them most because their insurer put a lifetime cap on the amount it would pay.
• Prohibiting health insurance companies from denying coverage to children based on a pre-existing condition, such as asthma or cancer.
• And in 2014, it will be illegal for health insurance companies to deny coverage to any American or to charge more because of a pre-existing condition.  No longer will 129 million Americans with health conditions have to fear seeing their premiums increased or getting locked out of the insurance market.
• The law will also make it illegal for a health insurer to charge women more simply because they are women. “That means,” Secretary Sebelius said, “being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing condition.”

[mdittmar]

It's all free;)

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“No longer do Americans have to choose between paying for preventive care and groceries.”

No, but most unfortunately, we did choose between being Free Men or Slaves to a Smothering Tyrannical State.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Health Care Law’s third anniversary sees health costs slowing down, more value for consumers

They need to start giving government employees "whiz quizzes". Somebody is doing too many recreational drugs.

[RoosterRedux]

Obama has personally killed healthcare in America.

The solution...start a daily exercise program and up the ante weekly.

The only protection from Obamacare is your own physical fitness.

No matter where you are in terms of fitness...get started ASAP. It is your responsibility to save yourself and your family.

[rbg81]

Its must be free, as the patients didn’t pay for it.

Of course, we will all pay for it .... eventually.

[mylife]

What a load of clap trap.
Shut up Katleen!

[Dutch Boy]

Why is that “free” is always so expensive?

[mdittmar]

Secretary Sebelius said,“being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing condition.”

What an odd statement?

[Sacajaweau]

Seems likethose free flu shots didn't work so well this year.....probably because just like the antibiotics...they killed the golden goose.

Dontcha wonder what the profit is on all these "free" flu shots??

[Cyman]

Preventative care prevents nothing. All the studies show that fact. Even the Congressional Budget Office states that it actually INCREASES medical expenditures.

[PeevedPatriot]

71 million Americans in private health insurance plans received coverage for at least one free preventive health care service, such as a mammogram or flu shot, in 2011 and 2012 because of the Affordable Care Act.

Notice it says they received coverage not an actual service. Only a propagandist would call something free when your monthly premiums are jacked up to pay for it.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

When I add the increase in copay for my prescriptions to my premium my out of pocket payment almost doubled on Jan 1.

[BitWielder1]

It's not free if someone else is forced to pay for it.

This is how we could all get free health care, free food or free anything any time:
You don't pay for your own. Grab as much as you can carry. It's free.
However, you will pay full price for the next guy in line.
He can get anything he wants. It's free for him. Very expensive for you. You will have no choice. Pay or die.
That's how "free" works.
Voting for the pol who promises more benefits and handouts is free. However...
Get the picture?

[Drill Thrawl]

As I said many times during the fear mongering of the sequester...

B U L L S H I T !

[CharlesMartelsGhost]

[SoFloFreeper]

Free, eh? So those doctors worked pro bono? No tax dollars were confiscated or money borrowed from China to pay for those “services”? No premiums went up to cover the costs of those FREE services?

Damn. That is a neat trick. Can we start getting some FREE steak dinners?

[Aria]

If its free then who is paying for it?

We all are...plus we’re paying for the union government
Bureaucrats to administer the whole fiasco.

[originalbuckeye]

THAT WOMAN IS A LIAR!!!

[Monorprise]

Its not free, it just forced millions of Americans to pay for a service they had not before wanted to buy.

[Uncle Miltie]

I want free guns.

At least I have an AMENDMENT to stand on.