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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. John Myers |
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Myers hails U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding Affordable Care Act
HARRISBURG, June 28 – Calling it a victory for all Americans, state Rep. John Myers, D-Phila., Democratic chairman of the House Health Committee, said millions of Pennsylvanians will benefit from today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act.
Myers said that because of the 5-4 decision, the federal law championed by President Barack Obama can move forward toward full implementation, with benefits beyond providing health care coverage to 30 million U.S. uninsured.
“In Pennsylvania alone, 4.5 million residents no longer need worry that chronic disease will rob them of coverage, because the ACA bans insurance companies from putting lifetime limits on what they pay out,” said Myers. “Pennsylvania residents on Medicare have already received $255 million in savings on prescription drugs, and 1.5 million of them got free preventive services – such as mammograms, colonoscopies and annual checkups – in 2011 alone.”
Myers said the numerous benefits of the law include 91,000 young adults under age 26 gaining insurance coverage, and a return to insurance coverage for nearly 5,400 unfortunate individuals who had been denied it because of a pre-existing medical condition.
“It is unconscionable that insurance companies had the ability to deny coverage to folks just because they were already sick,” said Myers. “For that and many other valid and practical reasons, I am pleased to see the highest court in the land uphold this very critical federal legislation.”
Myers said it is hard to argue with the many positive outcomes of the ACA, including more affordable prescription drugs for senior citizens and increased support for community health centers.
“No longer will the United States hold dubious distinction as the only industrialized nation failing to offer a comprehensive health care plan for its citizens,” said Myers. “We have lagged the rest of the world in this regard for far too long. President Obama, Democrats in Congress and now the Supreme Court have collectively paved the way for us to truly join the modern era.”
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