One Year After ObamaCare: Some Happy, But Not All

One year after the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act went into effect, key provisions are improving the health care system for those with cancer or who are at risk for developing the disease, says the American Cancer Society.

“We want people to understand that the law, while not perfect, will meaningfully improve the health care system for people with cancer and save lives,” said Gail Sumi, government relations director for the American Cancer Society in Wisconsin. “Provisions in the law are making health care more adequate, affordable, available and easier to understand for cancer patients, survivors and their families.”

Not everyone sees the Affordable Care Act as a boon, however.

Both 7th District U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Ashland) and 8th District U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Appleton) issued statements on Wednesday questioning the health care law.

“A year ago, our nation took a step in the wrong direction—a step that placed the federal government and its massive bureaucracy between patients and their doctors,” Duffy said, explaining that the real issue in health insurance is escalating costs. “Earlier this year, the House of Representatives, led by a new majority, voted to repeal this government takeover of healthcare and set in motion the process to replace it with market-based, patient-centered, health care reform. I support this movement because I believe that we do need health care reform in this nation, but we need to pursue it in a way that will foster economic growth, lower health care costs through increased competition, and will increase access to adequate health care coverage.”

Like Duffy, Ribble also discussed costs when outlining his concerns about the health care act.

“I’ve said all along that I support Healthcare reforms that lower costs and increase the quality of care and there are small parts of this bill with which I agree. Allowing children to stay on their parents’ plan longer and barring insurance companies from denying coverage for preexisting conditions are two examples of good parts of this bill,” Ribble said. “However, we can’t keep Obamacare in place. We need to start again before the immense costs are added to our already unsustainable debt and more jobs are lost.”

The American Cancer Society says several patient protections in the law have improved the health care system, including: the banning of pre-existing condition exclusions, eliminating annual and lifetime benefit limits, guaranteeing health care coverage to all applicants, prohibiting insurers from charging people more for coverage on account of health status, and guaranteeing no-cost coverage of preventative care.

“We call on lawmakers to implement and strengthen these provisions that are expanding access to quality health care for families affected by cancer so they never again have to choose between their life and their life savings,” Sumi said.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said more than 63,000 Wisconsin residents with pre-existing conditions can receive insurance coverage and not have to pay more for care than other state residents.

“Despite all this, one of the Republicans’ first acts in Washington was an attempt to repeal health care reform – a purely political move that aims to help their special interest and insurance company friends while stripping away choices and rights from the American people,” Tate said. “But what Democrats know, and the Republicans choose to ignore, is that, for our economy to truly recover and prosper, we must help middle-class families, businesses, and federal, state, and local governments cope with skyrocketing health care costs. That’s why today we celebrate the real health care reform that addresses the health care cost crisis and ensures quality, affordable health care for all Wisconsinites and all Americans.”