Congresswoman Waters Responds to Supreme Court Decision Upholding Health Reform

Washington – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) released the following statement in response to the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the Affordable Care Act:

"American families have won a great victory today!"

"The United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. This means the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, and the American people can move forward and take advantage of the benefits of this landmark law. Because of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies cannot drop you if you become sick. They cannot place lifetime limits on your coverage, and they cannot refuse to cover you because of a pre-existing condition."

"The Affordable Care Act is already making a difference in the lives of millions of Americans. More than 6 million young adults under the age of 26 now have health insurance through their parents' plans. Up to 17 million children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage by insurers. More than 5 million seniors have saved money on their prescription drugs, and 54 million Americans in private plans have received one or more free preventive services. Finally, just last year, 360,000 small businesses used tax credits to purchase health insurance for 2 million workers."

"Because of today's decision, the Affordable Care Act will be fully implemented in 2014, and no insurance company will ever again be able to deny coverage to Americans with pre-existing conditions. Americans with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS will get the care they need, and American families will rest assured they will not lose their insurance when they need it most!"

###