WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the second anniversary of enactment of the Affordable Care Act, Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), dean of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, announced that new analyses show that hundreds of thousands of people in Massachusetts and the 7th Congressional district are already benefiting from the Affordable Care Act. The latest federal data demonstrates the benefits that the healthcare law has already provided to seniors, young adults, small businesses, health centers and many others throughout Massachusetts and in the 7th Congressional district.
“The Affordable Care Act has been the right prescription for Massachusetts seniors, children and families who are already seeing lower costs and better coverage,” said Rep. Markey. “As the Supreme Court prepares to debate the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act next week, it is clear that the law already is protecting the right of Americans to high-quality, affordable healthcare.
“Republicans are more interested in keeping insurance companies wealthy than in helping Americans stay healthy. Republican efforts to repeal reform would put the insurance companies back in charge and will lead to higher costs and reduced benefits for millions of Americans across the country. I will continue to fight GOP efforts to repeal this critical law.”
Recent analysis of the new health care law has already provided benefits in Massachusetts and the 7th Congressional district, including the following:
The new health care law provides a 50 percent discount for brand-name drugs for seniors in the Medicare Part D ‘donut hole’ coverage gap. 70,524 Medicare recipients in Massachusetts received a $250 rebate to help cover the cost of their prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole in 2010. In 2011, 62,831 Medicare recipients received a 50 percent discount on their covered brand-name prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole. This discount resulted in an average savings of $587 per person, and a total savings of $36,897,940 in Massachusetts.
5,500 seniors in the 7th Congressional district received prescription drug discounts worth $3.2 million, an average discount of $570 per senior.
In 2011, 780,099 people with Medicare in Massachusetts received free preventive services – such as mammograms and colonoscopies – or a free annual wellness visit with their doctor.
75,000 seniors in the 7th Congressional district received Medicare preventive services without paying any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles.
31,000 children and 130,000 adults in the 7th Congressional district now have health insurance that covers preventive services without paying any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles.
As of June 2011, 20,294 young adults in Massachusetts gained insurance coverage as a result of the new health care law.
540 small businesses in the district received tax credits to help maintain or expand health care coverage for their employees.
The Affordable Care Act increases the funding available to Massachusetts’ 292 existing community health centers. These health centers have received $73.3 million to create new health center sites in medically underserved areas, enable health centers to increase the number of patients served, expand preventive and primary health care services, and support major construction and renovation projects.
In the 7th Congressional district $7.9 million in public health grants have been provided to community health centers, hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare providers to improve the community’s health.
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