Insurance companies and health maintenance organizations (HMOs), which stand to make huge profits from the Medicare privatization proposal that Rep. Jim Renacci voted for this year, made significant contributions to his 2012 re-election campaign, according to a new report from Health Care for America Now (HCAN) and Public Campaign Action Fund (PCAF). Congressman Paul Ryan, the GOP vice presidential candidate, included the privatization scheme in this year's House budget.

Ryan's plan, endorsed by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, would end Medicare as we know it and leave seniors without protection from soaring out-of-pocket medical costs while increasing insurance company profits by $16 billion to $26 billion in 2030, the report found. Campaign donations from these insurers have disproportionately gone to the House members, including Renacci who support the Ryan Medicare scheme. The pattern raises questions about whether the congressman is working for his constituents or for campaign donors from big insurance companies and Wall Street.

So far in the 2012 election cycle, insurance industry and HMO interests have given at least $14 million in campaign contributions to U.S. House members who voted for the Ryan Medicare privatization plan, the HCAN/PCAF report said. From the top of the ticket on down, federal candidates who supported the Ryan plan received nearly twice as much insurance industry campaign cash as those who voted against it. Romney has received $2.7 million from insurance interests this cycle alone. Renacci received $105,685 for his re-election effort.

For the insurance industry, the political spending is an investment that could reap enormous returns. A respected Wall Street analyst estimates that the market value of Wall Street-run health insurance companies will soon increase by $12 billion to $25 billion if the Republicans win the Senate and the White House, the report said. By 2030 the industry would post $16 billion to $26 billion in increased annual profits attributable to the Medicare privatization, according to a Harvard economist.
"It's no coincidence that big insurance is putting big money into races like Rep. Renacci's re-election campaign," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio. "To an industry obsessed with maximizing its returns, this is a smart investment that will yield big profits. The problem is, lawmakers like Rep. Renacci are supposed to be working for constituents, not for Wall Street."

Mitt Romney says up to 20 million will lose health insurance due to Obama health care law

During the first presidential debate in Denver, Mitt Romney criticized President Barack Obama's health care law by saying, "Right now, the (Congressional Budget Office) says up to 20 million people will lose their insurance as Obamacare goes into effect next year."

While PolitiFact does not put predictions to the Truth-O-Meter, we do fact-check whether politicians or pundits accurately portray the predictions made by others.

We did so in June, when Romney made a similar claim in a speech -- that "Obamacare ... means that for up to 20 million Americans, they will lose the insurance they currently have, the insurance that they like and they want to keep." We rated that claim False.

Continue to Miss Critical Deadlines for Implementing a State Health Insurance Reform

COLUMBUS--Lt. Governor Mary Taylor has once again put politics over the interests of Ohio's businesses and consumers by not submitting a list of minimum essential benefits to be covered under Ohio health insurance policies.  Citing a lack of clarity in rules from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), she ignored an important deadline in implementing federal health care reform.

"The Lt. Governor consistently derides 'Obamacare' and federal mandates and yet, when given the opportunity for control over how the insurance industry will be regulated in Ohio, she opts for a one-size-fits-all federal model," said Representative John Patrick Carney (D-Columbus). "Secretary Sebelius and HHS recognized that all states are not the same and allowed states the opportunity to regulate themselves. Ohio has a unique economy and unique demographics.  What works in California or Texas or Indiana may not be best for Ohioans."

Columbus- Senator Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) and State Representative Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) introduced legislation today in the Senate and House of Representatives addressing the concerns of many Ohioans regarding the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing by the oil and gas industry.  The legislation calls for removing the gag order that was placed on medical professionals through SB 315 and expands the reporting requirements for oil and gas well permits.

"It's the responsibility of state lawmakers to protect the health and well being of Ohioans and that's why I am calling for full disclosure of the chemicals used in gas and oil drilling," said Senator Skindell.  "Doctors need to know what chemicals are being used so they can treat their patients.  We can't allow corporate secrets to endanger public safety."

This legislation would also expand how medical professionals can access the chemical information they need to properly treat their patients.  Additionally it broadens the reasons for which a medical professional can request this information and the ways in which a patient can be deemed adversely affected.

"It's bad public health policy for legislators to take prescriptions from the oil and gas industry, and that's exactly what they did when writing the gag order," said Rep. Hagan. "Ohioans would be better served by doctors deciding what is right for their patients, not by oil and gas executives trying to suppress vital medical information. We certainly don't use family physicians to operate rotary rigs, so I don't see why we should let oil tycoons decide what kind of information is medically necessary."

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Last week, on Alzheimer's Action Day--September 21^st--U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) signed on as a cosponsor of the Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer's Act. While roughly 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, only half receive a formal diagnosis.  Better care starts with a diagnosis, yet physician visits are typically too brief for a full assessment of a patient's symptoms.  Even when a diagnosis occurs, families are often left to figure out what to do about the person's care, and incomplete medical records lead to worse patient and caregiver outcomes. 

The HOPE for Alzheimer's Act helps solve this problem by allowing doctors to conduct in-depth diagnostic interviews and in-depth care planning appointments with patients and their families.

"Thousands of Ohioans are living with Alzheimer's disease, but only half of patients are formally diagnosed," Brown said.  "The HOPE for Alzheimer's Act provides a common-sense way to enhance the proper diagnosis and treatment of patients with symptoms of this disease, leading to better care and patient outcomes--while giving families and caretakers the tools they need to support a loved one."

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that consumers have saved 2.1 billion on health insurance premiums as a result of rate review and the 80/20 rule

American consumers have saved an estimated $2.1 billion on health insurance premiums as a result of two important provisions of ObamaCare (The Affordable Care Act) that protect consumers from excessive premiums:

 1.      In every state, insurance companies must submit a justification for public review if they want to raise premiums by 10 percent or more. This protects consumers for excessive--and unjustified--rate increases.  Rate reviews have helped save an estimated $1 billion for American consumers.

2.      The 80/20 rule ensures that insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on patient care. Those companies that do not meet those spending requirements must write checks back to their customers for the difference. Consumers have received rebate checks for $1.1 billion thanks to the 80/20 rule.

These rules have brought transparency and accountability to the healthcare marketplace. Because of ObamaCare, consumers in Ohio are saving millions of dollars on healthcare premiums. And for the first time ever, millions of consumers across the country are getting money back from their insurance companies.

Click to read the full report

New Report Outlines Policies to Make Health Insurance Reform Work for Consumers

WASHINGTON, DC - As federal and state policymakers gear up for the sweeping insurance reforms required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to begin January 1, 2014, a broad based group of patient and consumer advocates released a set of recommendations to ensure the reforms meet consumers' needs. The report authors serve as appointed consumer representatives to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and members come from organizations such as the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Consumers Union, the American Heart Association, Health Access California and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, as well as academic centers such as Washington & Lee School of Law and Georgetown University.

Beth Abbott of Health Access (California) noted: "We felt it was important to get these recommendations out now because federal and state regulators are getting ready for 2014. We want to make sure that, as they implement these reforms, they're putting consumers front and center."

The report, Implementing the Affordable Care Act's Insurance Reforms: Consumer Recommendations for Regulators and Lawmakers, covers a wide range of insurance reforms under the ACA, including guarantee issue and renewal requirements, the ban on pre-existing condition exclusions, new restrictions on health status, age and gender rating, essential health benefits, and minimum actuarial value standards. The report outlines the issues consumers may face as these provisions are being implemented, and provides policymakers with a roadmap to ensure the reforms meet consumers' needs.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - With rumors going about on matters ranging from its cost to its legality, experts say it's time to do some myth-busting on the Affordable Care Act. Co-chair of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage Cathy Levine says some opponents of the law are spreading misinformation.

She says among the biggest falsehoods are claims that the law is a government takeover of health care. She says that's absurd.

"Politifact.com called this the lie of the year. The Affordable Care Act strengthens the existing employer-based health insurance market while making the market more fair for consumers by implementing consumer protections."

Levine says rumors that the individual mandate is the largest tax increase in American history are also ridiculous. She says it's projected to bring in $4 billion a year, which she says pales in comparison to many tax increases. And while there are claims the law will add trillions to the deficit, the Congressional Budget Office estimates it will lower the deficit by over $124 billion over 10 years.

CLEVELAND--The women of the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus today praised the latest benefits of the Affordable Care Act, designed to improve the health and well being of millions of women.  Beginning today women will have guaranteed access to preventive services without paying more at the doctor's office.
 
About 47 million American women will benefit from the expanded coverage--a requirement for health insurance policies renewed on or after August 1, 2012.  The eight new additional women's preventive services that will be covered without co-payments include:

• Well-woman visits.

• Gestational diabetes screenings that help protect pregnant women from one of the most serious pregnancy-related diseases.

• Domestic and interpersonal violence screening and counseling.

• FDA-approved contraceptive methods, and contraceptive education and counseling.

• Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling.

• HPV DNA testing, for women 30 or older.

• Sexually transmitted infections counseling for women.

• HIV screening and counseling for women

Pro-choice activists show Sen. Portman that his politics and anti-choice agenda
don't match the values and priorities of the people of Ohio.

Next week, when many women go to the pharmacy to pick up their birth-control prescription, they will not be charged a copay.

This is a major victory for women, but the fight is far from over!

Sen. Rob Portman, is leading the charge against women's birth control rights.

He even wrote a letter to the Department of Justice asking to have the new policy for women under the Affordable Care Act blocked from ever reaching Ohio.

The Federal Health Care Law Now Allows Ohio Women to Take Control of Their Health

Columbus, Ohio - In a momentous step forward, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that, thanks to the federal health care law, beginning today (August 1, 2012), 47 million women nationwide will have access to free prevention-related health care services without paying out of their own pocket. This means that, beginning today, 1,852,561 women in Ohio can take greater control over their health by having access to life-saving preventive care free of charge. 

For the first time ever, Ohio women will be granted access to potentially life-saving tests and services, without having to worry about costs. No longer will Ohio women be at the mercy of their insurance company, but will instead be able to take control of their well-being and make decisions to keep them healthy, catch possibly serious conditions at an earlier stage and protect themselves and their families from colossal medical bills. 

"Women in Ohio shouldn't have to make healthcare decisions because of worries about cost," said Brian Rothenberg. "Thanks to the federal health care law, women now have access to important preventive care measures that will go a long way towards keeping our families healthy. When we talk about access to care, this is exactly what we mean." 

47 million women will benefit from eight Obamacare regulations that go into effect today including the guaranteed coverage of preventive services contraception coverage -- without co-pays.

The new rules require most insurance plans to begin including the services at no additional cost at the next renewal date that falls on or after August 1, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Josh Mandel Says The Affordable Care Act "Will Likely Go Down As The Biggest Tax Increase In History"

The Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act settled the question of its constitutionality, but only seemed to intensify debate over the law.

Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel joined other Republicans in calling for its repeal, saying the decision "sets the stage for the November election." He identified the law as a pivotal issue in his campaign to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Mandel issued a statement on the day of the decision asserting that Brown had voted "for what will likely go down as the biggest tax increase in history."

That claim about the health care legislation has been a talking point opponents of the law, repeated many times since the ruling. But PolitiFact first examined it after Florida Gov. Rick Scott made the statement more than a year earlier.

The claim is wrong.

Read The Entire Report at PolitiFact Ohio.

Responds to Lt. Governor Mary Taylor's Rejection
 
COLUMBUS--State Representative John Patrick Carney (D-Columbus) is again calling on the administration to move forward with setting up a state run Health Benefits Exchange. On Tuesday, while speaking in Bowling Green Lt. Gov. and Director of the Department of Insurance Mary Taylor made clear Gov. Kasich's administrations intentions to neglect setting up a health insurance market place required under the Affordable Care Act.  Lt. Gov. Taylor said "At this point, we are not going to set up a state-based exchange."
 
"This administration and the Lt. Governor continue to put partisan politics over good policy that will benefit and protect Ohioans.  They have made it clear that they believe the federal government can manage Ohio's robust health insurance industry better than they can," Rep. Carney said.

Ohio's Conservative Representatives vote for repeal that would strip health care benefits and consumer protections from millions of Americans

 "Today's vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act demonstrates once again that conservatives in Congress care more about partisan political games than solving problems for the middle class. Representative Boehner and the other extremists have now voted 31 times to repeal a law that the Supreme Court has upheld as constitutional and that already provides benefits and consumer protections to thousands of Ohioans," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio.

"Ohio's 13 most conservative representatives have voted repeatedly to strip these folks of their health care by supporting repeal and by voting this year for the Romney-Ryan budget that ends Medicare as we know it and dismantles Medicaid in order to give millionaires an annual tax break," Rothenberg stated.

Repealing the ACA would unequivocally hurt Ohioans, many of whom already rely on Obamacare for benefits. Repealing the law would:

• Take away health insurance from 97,000 young adults who are now covered under the law's provision that allows young adults to remain on a parent's policy until age 26.

• Increase costs for seniors in Medicare by taking away prescription drug rebates that have already benefited 148,238 seniors and by forcing 1,203,274 more seniors who have already gotten free preventive care in Medicare to pay for their cancer screenings and annual exams.

• Rob 143,327 Ohioans of rebates totaling $11,331,726 that insurance companies will pay for the first time this year for failing to comply with the 80/20 rule. That averages to rebates of $139 for the 81,500 Ohio families covered by a policy. That Affordable Care Act rule requires insurance companies to spend at least 80% of our premium dollars on actual medical care instead of overhead and profit.

• Give back to the insurance companies the power to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions, to impose arbitrary caps and limits on coverage and to deny claims for any reason.

"It's time for conservatives to stop wasting time on partisan political games," said Rothenberg. "Congress should stop trying to drag our country backwards and trying to take away our health care benefits. Ohio's delegation should move on and get to work on fixing the economy and creating jobs for the American people."

Innovation Ohio, a progressive think tank headquartered in Columbus, today charged the Kasich administration with "playing politics at the expense of Ohio taxpayers" by refusing to create the health insurance exchanges called for in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The think tank said that while the five states bordering Ohio have pulled down over $130 million in federal exchange grants, Ohio has received only $1 million -and only because the previous Governor, Ted Strickland, applied for it.  For a comparison of state grants see http://www.statehealthfacts.org.

According to the Toledo Blade, Lt. Governor Mary Taylor, who is also state Insurance Commissioner, told a Bowling Green audience yesterday that she and Gov. Kasich have determined it would be too expensive for Ohio to set up an exchange, which she estimated "would cost between $30 and $40 million per year to operate...plus initial start-up costs."

Insurance exchanges are marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can shop for affordable health insurance plans that best fit their needs.  The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the ACA on June 28.  States refusing to create exchanges will have one created for them by the federal government.

The Kasich administration complains that they don't have the money to set up a state insurance exchange, estimating their cost at $30 to 40 million per year. Yet, for two years, they've refused to apply for federal planning grants that could have been used for this very purpose.

Columbus - State Senator Edna Brown (D-Toledo) released the following statement today regarding the unnecessary delay in implementing a health insurance exchange for Ohio:

"I was fortunate to be outside the U.S. Supreme Court building last month shortly after the court announced its decision upholding the Affordable Care Act as constitutional.  The landmark ruling signified a turning point in the long struggle to help millions of uninsured Americans gain access to affordable health insurance.
 
"However, the excitement I felt at that moment has been followed by deep disappointment with Governor Kasich and Lt. Governor Taylor for so far stubbornly refusing to establish a health insurance exchange for Ohio. This key component of the Affordable Care Act will create a competitive market place where Ohioans and small business owners can purchase affordable health insurance.
 
"I find it baffling that Lt. Governor Taylor in her role as the Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance does not see the wisdom in giving consumers more and better choices for purchasing health insurance.  This should be a no-brainer.
 
"If we don't set up an exchange the federal government will do it for us.  A plan designed by Ohioans for Ohioans is a better solution because it has a greater opportunity to create Ohio-based jobs.
 
"My colleague, Senator Mike Skindell of Lakewood, has already drafted legislation to establish a health insurance exchange tailored to fit the needs of Ohioans.  As the ranking member on the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor committee, I am ready and willing to help turn this legislation into law.  Its time for the Governor and Lt. Governor to put politics aside and stop dragging their feet on much needed health care reform."

If you are in the Cincinnati area and support affordable health care, let Josh Mandel know.

Protesters will gather at 7:15 pm on Tuesday, July, 10th in front of the Sharonville Convention Center (directions).

Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel says we should get rid of a law that lets:

• Nearly 97,000 of Ohio's young adults stay on their parents' health insurance until age 26.

• Thousands of Ohioans with pre-existing conditions have access to health care through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.

• More than 3.3 million Ohioans access preventive health services at no cost.

• 4.5 million Ohioans stop worrying about hitting a lifetime limit on their insurance coverage.

• Ohio seniors who have reached the so-called "donut hole" save more than $164 million.

Join others in letting Josh Mandel know you support affordable health care this Tuesday.

Affordable Care Act will outlaw gender discrimination by insurance companies
 
COLUMBUS - State Rep. Nancy Garland (D-New Albany), chair of the Ohio Democratic House Women's Caucus, and State Rep. Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood), co-chair of policy for the Ohio Democratic House Women's Caucus, applaud the landmark ruling made by the United States Supreme Court yesterday which upholds President Obama's healthcare reform initiative. The Affordable Care Act includes a provision that would prevent discrimination of health insurance premiums based on gender.
 
The Affordable Care Act will not only provide healthcare access to millions of Americans who previously were uninsured, but it will also make significant reforms to current policy. More importantly, insurance companies will be prohibited from setting higher premiums for women. Reps. Garland and Antonio (D-Lakewood) introduced HB 551 that, once passed, would immediately prohibit insurance companies from using discriminatory practices when setting premiums in Ohio.

Let's give health reform a chance

Here's why it's so important to do that: About 30 million people - Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, independents and many who care nothing about politics - lack health insurance. That means they also lack decent access to adequate health care for themselves and their families.America is practically alone among wealthy countries with so many people adrift without basic health coverage.

Advocates Ready to Move Full-Speed Ahead on Implementation

Health care advocates, and activists including seniors, women, patients, willing to share their personal health stories, gathered today, Friday, June 29th, outside of Attorney General DeWine's Office in the Rhodes State Office Tower to celebrate the long-awaited Supreme Court decision affirming the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The group called on Ohio Legislators and State Insurance Director Mary Taylor to respect the court's decision, end the political games stalling implementation and move forward so Ohio can get the health care they need.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court's ruling on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act:

"Supreme Court Justices appointed by presidents of both parties today made an independent legal judgment to uphold the health law. I hope today's ruling will put an end to the partisan bickering so that we can continue our focus on jobs and improving the economy" Brown said. 

"Today's ruling means that more than 1.2 million Ohio seniors will continue to have access to cancer screenings and wellness exams through Medicare. Nearly 97,000 young adults in our state will continue to be able to stay on their parents' health insurance until they're 26. Parents of children with pre-existing conditions - like cancer, asthma, or diabetes - will no longer worry that they will be unable to buy health insurance."

Columbus - Ohio Senate Minority Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) released the following statement today after the U. S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act:

Columbus - Senator Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) released the following statement today after the U. S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act:

Victory for the Middle Class
 
COLUMBUS - Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act.

"This is a victory for all Ohioans: seniors, kids and young adults; entrepreneurs and working people; and middle class families.  President Obama and Democrats have fought tirelessly to ensure quality, affordable healthcare for all regardless of health status and condition.
 
"I am pleased that Chief Justice Roberts put aside partisan political pressures to uphold precedent and the rule of law.  Now Gov. Kasich and L t. Gov. and Director of the Department of Insurance Mary Taylor must do the same and stop playing politics with the health of Ohioans. They should stop dragging their feet and expeditiously and responsibly put in place the proper health insurance market place for the people of Ohio, before the deadline.  Creating a Health Exchange will allow all Ohioans to obtain affordable health care coverage even if they have pre-existing conditions. Reps. Antonio and Carney have already introduced House Bill 412 which would establish the Ohio Health Benefit Exchange Agency.  "

COLUMBUS - State Representative Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) applauds the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 majority ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and will continue to move forward with HB 412, to create the Ohio Health Benefit Exchange.  HB 412 will establish the Ohio Health Benefit Exchange Program and include an exchange for individual coverage and a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP Exchange).  The exchange program will provide affordable coverage options for individuals and for small business employers to provide health coverage for their employees throughout Ohio.
 
"I have met with many stakeholders from Ohio who know that setting up a state exchange under the ACA ruling will bolster a competitive market place where all Ohioans will have access to affordable health care coverage," said Rep. Antonio.
 
The Affordable Care Act has made a difference across the nation and most importantly here in Ohio.  The law made changes to the way insurance companies do business with consumers.  Today, because of the ACA 2,138,000 Ohioans received preventative services without co-pay.  "Our children have the chance to be healthier because 2,137 kids with pre-existing conditions now have health care coverage," said Rep. Antonio.
 
The Affordable Care Act helps people with pre-existing conditions buy health insurance after being denied for years along with banning lifetime and annual limits on coverage.  Under the ACA, approximately 97,000 young adults have gained health care coverage in Ohio because they can stay on their parent's health plan up to age 26.  Before the Affordable Care Act became law, insurance companies selling individual policies could deny coverage to women due to pre-existing conditions, such as cancer and having been pregnant. With the ruling upholding the law, women will continue to benefit with new preventative coverage without cost sharing.

COLUMBUS, OH--Today, the United States Supreme Court rejected challenges from 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Businesses and upheld the Affordable Care Act.  In its decision, the Supreme Court found that Congress acted within its authority.

"Today, we celebrate. The decision by the Supreme Court shuts the door on the political debate that has been stalling implementation of the law," said Brian Rothenberg, ProgressOhio. "Our elected officials need to roll up their sleeves and implement the law without delay so all Ohioans can have the security of knowing that health coverage will be there when they need it."

The Affordable Care Act is helping 100 million Americans including seniors and small businesses. Even more Americans will benefit when the law is fully implemented in 2014.

"Today is a good day for young adults, seniors, people with cancer and other health problems, and small businesses," said Col Owens, Co-Chair, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage. "The Affordable Care Act makes coverage more secure by ensuring that Ohioans cannot be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition, or lose their coverage when they get sick. That is the peace of mind that Ohioans need. "

The Affordable Care Act is already working for Ohioans.

• The law requires health plans to allow parents to keep their kids under age 26 on their family plan. Nearly 82,000 young adults have gained insurance coverage as a result.
• More than 2.1 million seniors in Ohio received preventive services such as cancer screenings with no deductible or co-pay.
• The law requires that insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of their premium dollars on health care and quality improvements instead of overhead and marketing. More than 3 million Ohio residents with private insurance will receive greater value for their premiums.
• The law bans insurance companies from imposing lifetime dollar limits on health benefits.  More than 4.1 million Ohioans do not have to worry about lifetime limits on coverage.

More Ohioans will benefit when the law is fully implemented in 2014.

Today, the United States Supreme Court rejected challenges from 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Businesses and upheld the Affordable Care Act. In its decision, the Supreme Court found that Congress acted within its authority when requiring Americans to have health insurance. 

We can now celebrate. The decision by the Supreme Court shuts the door on the political debate that has been stalling implementation of the law. Our elected officials need to roll up their sleeves and implement the law without delay so all Ohioans can have the security of knowing that health coverage will be there when they need it."
 
The Affordable Care Act is helping 100 million Americans including seniors and small businesses. Even more Americans will benefit when the law is fully implemented in 2014.


Today is a good day for young adults, seniors, people with cancer and other health problems, and small businesses. The Affordable Care Act makes coverage more secure by ensuring that Ohioans cannot be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition, or lose their coverage when they get sick. That is the peace of mind that Ohioans need.

The long-awaited Supreme Court ruling clears the way for implementation of the law at the state and federal levels. Now the nation will see large-scale expansion of Medicaid to provide much-needed relief for states struggling with the cost of providing care to low-income working families and seniors, creation of a state insurance marketplace where Ohioans can buy coverage using tax credits that make insurance more affordable, and no-cost preventive care that lowers health costs in the long-term by detecting health conditions in early stages.

Ohio's State Legislators and State Insurance Director Mary Taylor must begin immediately planning for a health insurance Exchange that works for consumers and small businesses. Opponents of the Affordable Care Act are out of excuses.

The Miami Herald Reports:

Gov. Rick Scott readies response to Supreme Court ruling on 'Obamacare'

As the leader of the multi-state challenge to federal health care reform, the attention will be on Florida when the U.S. Supreme Court makes its ruling next week on the merits of the law. And we're already catching a glimpse of Gov. Rick Scott's message strategy in the case that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is overturned by the High Court.

Lane Wright, the governor's press secretary, emailed the messaging strategy on Tuesday to Rob Nichols, a spokesperson for Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Kasich is a Republican, like Scott, and Ohio is one of the 25 states that joined Florida in fighting the individual mandate contained in what is commonly known as "Obamacare."

We haven't found any talking points in Wright's inbox regarding how Scott would react if the High Court upholds all or part of the healthcare reform law. But we'll keep our eyes open.

Here is the full text of Wright's email:

Obama Administration awards grants to support ten communities, serve an additional 50,840 patients

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced awards of new grants made possible by the health care law to expand community health centers. In Ohio, a total of $4,989,009 was awarded to ten health centers to help expand access to care for 50,840 additional patients and will create approximately 5,640 jobs nationwide by establishing new health center service delivery sites.
 
"The health care law is making our community health centers stronger and ensuring more Americans get the care they need," said Secretary Sebelius.  

Community health centers work to improve the health of the nation by ensuring access to quality primary health care services. 

This June the Supreme Court of the United States will rule on a case to overturn Obamacare. This would take away health care from millions of Americans.

Watch It:

We know how important health care is for Ohioans which is why you we need your help now to prepare for any possible outcome from the U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding the Federal Health Care Law.

We don't know how the court will rule, but we do know that Ohioans need quality health care for everyone in our state, no exceptions.

Be one of the first to hear when the Supreme Court rules!

Show your support of the Health Care Law by sharing your health care story and/or join the Healthy Stories Express Rapid Response Team!

Show your support of the Health Care Law by sharing your health care story and/or join the Healthy Stories Express Rapid Response Team!

Be one of the first to hear when the Supreme Court rules!

The much anticipated U.S. Supreme Court Ruling regarding the Federal Health Care Law, the Affordable Care Act, is expected any time between now and the end of June.

We know how important health care is for Ohioans which is why you we need your help now to prepare for any possible outcome from the U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding the Federal Health Care Law.

We don't know how the court will rule, but we do know that Ohioans need quality health care for everyone in our state, no exceptions.

The Healthy Stories Express is a collaborative effort of health care advocacy organizations holding various events across the state to listen and collect stories on how the federal health care law has assisted Ohioans.  Collaborative partners include:  ProgressOhio, UHCAN Ohio, Know Your Care, Alliance for Retired Americans, Communities United of Ohio and Health Care for America Now.

Click here to see some Ohioans around the state at various events sharing their stories on how the Health Care law has helped them.

Two Ways You Can Help:

Columbus, OH--Today, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage and 25 other organizations released a letter to Insurance Commissioner Mary Taylor outlining how the Administration is failing to meet federal regulations regarding consumer input into the health insurance premium rate review process.
 
"Because Director Taylor is not giving enough easily accessible information--as required by federal law--consumers in Ohio have little or no opportunity for input when insurers come in and ask for double-digit premium increases," said Cathy Levine, co-chair of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage. "More and more organizations are concerned that consumer voices are being ignored by this Administration."
 
The regulation for Effective Rate Review programs went into effect on September 1, 2011 but Ohio has yet to come into compliance with the regulation's provisions. This does not sit well with the Ohio Federation of Teachers.

The Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans is pleased that Representatives Garland and Antonio have introduced HB 551 to end gender discrimination in health insurance. For too long, insurers have cost employers, employees and individual women more in premium charges because of gender discrimination.

With the introduction of this legislation following on the heals of Mothers Day during Women's Health Week, Ohio has the ability to increase affordable access to health care for women outside the debate over the Affordable Care Act. Given the statistics that women earn less than men while doing substantially the same work yet are required to pay more for health insurance, it is no wonder that 11+% of Ohio's population is without a means to finance health care.

With May being Older Americans month, the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans finds this an opportune time for ending this gender discrimination and assisting older Ohio women in maintaining access to health financing.

Recent US House passed changes to Medicare; make it a premium support or limited coverage health insurance. Other changes would reinstitute gender discrimination before the 2014 implementation of the Affordable Care Act. With the cost for pre-Medicare comprehensive coverage for individual older women workers (55-64) health policies ranging in cost from $800 to $1,700/month ($9,600 to $20,400/ year) exclusive of co-pays and deductibles now and the median income of women 65+ in 2010 being $15,072, a voucher or premium supplement of $7000 won't go very far and our daughters and granddaughters will be forced out of the health system as they age.

HB 551 at least sets Ohio women on an equal footing with men for insurance rating and premiums.

26 Programs Nationwide Will Save Estimated $254 Million, Improve Health Care

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the first batch of organizations for Health Care Innovation awards, among them University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital which, along with partners that include Ohio Medicaid, four community mental health agencies, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland Schools, and Head Start, and others, is receiving $12.8 million to provide care to approximately 65,000 children with Medicaid who would otherwise be treated in an emergency room.

Made possible by the health care law - the Affordable Care Act - the awards will support 26 innovative projects nationwide that will save money, deliver high quality medical care and enhance the health care workforce.  The preliminary awardees announced today expect to reduce health spending by $254 million over the next 3 years.

"We can't wait to support innovative projects that will save money and make our health care system stronger," said Secretary Sebelius. "It's yet another way we are supporting local communities now in their efforts to provide better care and lower cost."

Think Tank Says Gutting Illness Prevention Fund Would Cost Ohio Millions and Hurt Women and Children

Columbus:  Innovation Ohio, a progressive think tank headquartered in Columbus, issued a report today which finds that eliminating the Prevention and Public Health Fund of the Affordable Care Act would cost Ohio millions of dollars in federal funds and have a disproportionately adverse effect on women and children.

The Republican-dominated U.S. House of Representatives voted (HB 4628) to zero out the fund in order to pay the $6 billion cost of keeping interest rates on federal student loans at 3.4%.

The U.S. Senate is considering a bill co-sponsored by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (S. 2343) that would keep the lower interest rate, but pay for it by closing a loophole that allows wealthy owners of privately held "S-Corporations" to avoid paying Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Without congressional action, interest rates for Stafford college loans will double to 6.8% on July 1, thus costing many college students and their families an extra $1,000 in interest payments.  An estimated 380,000 Ohio students use Stafford loans to pay for college.

Among the IO Report's main findings are:

• The average Ohio college student graduates with loan debt of $27,713, higher than the national average of $25,000;

• Total student loan debt now exceeds $1 trillion, more than the nation's total credit card or car loan debt;

• Allowing interest rates on new Stafford loans to double to 6.8%  would saddle students who borrow the maximum amount with an extra $1,000 per school year in added  interest, potentially forcing many Ohioans to change colleges or drop out altogether;

• Keeping student loan interest rates at 3.4% would cost $6 billion.  Eliminating the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) as House Republicans propose would cut $11.9 billion, twice as much as is needed to pay for the lower interest rates;

• Since 2010, Ohio has received $17 million in Prevention Fund grants;

• Eliminating the PPHF would de-fund programs used by over 2 million Ohioans, nearly 1.4 million of whom are women and children.  Among the most important are programs for breast and cervical cancer screenings, child immunizations, smoking cessation, and local projects to combat heart disease, strokes and diabetes;

• Prevention programs are especially important to Ohio because we already rank near the bottom for many of these diseases and conditions.  For example, Ohio ranks 47th (third worst among the 50 states) in breast cancer deaths, 46th in smoking rates, 40th in lung cancer deaths, and 42nd in both heart disease and diabetes.

Grants from the Affordable Care Act will help build and expand health centers, create jobs, and expand access to an additional 860,000 patients nationwide

Today Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $15,827,069 in grants awarded to community health centers in Ohio due to the new health care law - the Affordable Care Act.  Grantees estimate these awards will help them serve approximately 14,904 new patients. A full list of Ohio grantees can be found below.

"President Obama's health care law is making community health centers in Ohio stronger," said Secretary Sebelius. "For many Americans, community health centers are the major source of care that ranges from prevention to treatment of chronic diseases. This investment will expand our ability to provide high-quality care to millions of people while supporting good paying jobs in communities across the country."

The Affordable Care Act has already saved Americans on Medicare more than $3.4 billion on prescription drugs so far this year, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The benefits came from changes to the so-called "donut hole," the gap in drug coverage for older Americans which would require them to pay for many medications out of pocket.

Thanks to the health care law, coverage of generic medications in the donut hole will increase until 2020, when the gap will be closed. On average, more than 220,000 people have saved an average of $837 so far this year on prescription drugs purchased in the donut hole. In all of 2010 and 2011, over 5 million Americans saved $3.2 billion on prescription drugs.

In addition, CMS reported that 8.9 million Medicare recipients have received at least one preventive service free of charge. 32.5 million received free preventive services last year.

A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 211,930 consumers in Ohio will receive $10,727,574 in rebates solely because of the 80/20 rule.  This includes 35 percent of enrollees in the individual market in Ohio for an average rebate of $56 per person.  Rebates to consumers will be delivered by August 1.  You can read the full report by visiting http://www.kff.org/healthreform/8305.cfm.
 
And even if you don't you receive a rebate, you may be benefitting from the new rule. Many insurance companies changed the way they do business or lowered their premiums to comply with the 80/20 rule.

The health care law is working for women, helping them get the care they need. So why are opponents of the law fighting to take away all these important benefits and common-sense protections.

Take a stand and help us protect women's health care. Join the National Women's Law Center's campaign and tell opponents of affordable care "I Will NOT Be Denied."

Watch It:

On April 12, 2006 Governor Mitt Romney signed "Romneycare" into law, ensuring affordable health care for 98% of Massachusetts residents.

"The key features of the new law were an individual mandate, which required state residents to purchase health insurance or face a tax penalty -- and the creation of a state agency to help the uninsured to purchase private health insurance plans at reasonable costs. It was touted by Romney at the event as a way of "expanding coverage to all our citizens."

Thanks to Mitt Romney's progressive health care reform model, we will soon all enjoy the same access to affordable care under provisions of President Obama's Affordable Care Act.

Thanks to "Obamacare," millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions, young people who were previously uncovered, and seniors all enjoy affordable access to health care! 

And we can all thank Mitt Romney for a progressive model for health care reform.

JOIN US IN SAYING
"THANKS, ROMNEYCARE!"

Republican budget would end Medicare as we know it while protecting millionaires

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) released the following statement after House Republicans passed their proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget:

"America's budget is not just numbers on a ledger sheet; it is a statement about our priorities and our values. Today, I voted against a budget which would slash protections for seniors to pay for tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. These priorities do not fall in line with the values of the Ohioans I serve. Instead of empowering Americans and creating new economic opportunities to put people to work, this budget reduces critical investments in our roads and bridges. Instead of supporting our seniors, this budget ends Medicare as we know it, and as our seniors depend on it. Instead of promoting fairness and rewarding hard-work, this budget cuts funding to help our children access higher education so that multi-national corporations can have yet another tax break.

We need a budget that protects the Medicare guarantee and incentivizes companies to create jobs in America while asking millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share. I call on Speaker Boehner to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats to create a budget that benefits all Americans, not just those privileged few at the top."

This documentary provides the real story of how the health care systems in Canada and the United States evolved to be so completely different, when at one point they were essentially the same. Most people under the age of 50, in both countries, are not aware of the intensity of the political struggle that led to the universal medical care system in Canada. Nor are they aware of the public relations campaigns, still active today, that have been prevalent in the United States since the early 1900's to dissuade the public from supporting national health care.

Produced by Canadian/American couple Laurie Simons and Terry Sterrenberg, The Healthcare Movie reveals the personal and emotional impact on Canadians who now have access to universal health care because of the heroism of people who took a stand nearly 50 years ago. It also reveals the continuing struggle in the United States between the fear of government intervention and the right to quality health care for all people.

Watch It:

Attend A Screening

March 27, 2012 7:30 pm

Drexel Theater
2254 E. Main Street
Columbus, OH  43209

Rally to Save Ohio Lives!

On Monday March 26th the U.S. Supreme Court begins hearing testimony on portions of the Federal Health Care Law, the Affordable Care Act.

Join us at 10:00 AM on Monday to Rally to Save Ohio Lives!

If the Affordable Care Act (or portions of) are repealed, thousands could lose vital health benefits that they have begun to receive or will receive due to Federal Health Reform. 

Join us Downtown on Monday to demonstrate that the Affordable Care Act is saving lives. Ohio is one of the 26 states involved with the lawsuit being heard at the U.S. Supreme Court starting Monday.

Join us Monday to Make Your Voice Heard

What: Affordable Care Act: Rally to Save Ohio Lives

When: Monday March 26th at 10:00

Where: Outside of the Rhodes State Office Tower, (Attorney General Dewine's Office), 30 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH

Who: Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage and ProgressOhio 

Speakers: Cathy Levine, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage, Co-Chair

Col Owens, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage, Co-Chair

Brian Rothenberg, Progress Ohio

Nancy Pitts, Raising Women's Voices

Reverend Eric Brown, Woodland Christian

RSVP: (Not Necessary but Appreciated) jyoder@uhcanohio.org

PLAN TO ATTEND THE RALLY MONDAY!

Watch It:

Health Reform Ends Discriminatory Practice

Fifty-two percent of Americans either has or knows someone in their family who has a pre-existing condition. Dr. Alice Chen of Doctors for America, a Center for American Progress partner organization, wants you to know that the new health reform law ends the practice of insurance companies denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

Watch It:

COLUMBUS, OH- Seniors and activists representing ProgressOhio, Ohio Communities United, Alliance of Retired Americans, and Health Care For America Now were ejected from the Department of Insurance this afternoon. While attempting to deliver over 500 signatures asking Director and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor to implement a health care exchange, guards removed them from the premise and refused to take their petition.

The petitioners were told their petition would only be accepted in the mail and that any rights for citizens to access a government office were null and void since the Dept. of Insurance is housed in a leased space. The protesters asked for a written policy and the police were called.

"According to Mary Taylor's staff, the right to peaceably petition the government ends at the edge of the sidewalk. It seems her willingness to ignore our country's laws extends past the Affordable Care Act all the way to the First Amendment," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio.

For too long, too many hard working Americans paid the price for policies that handed free rein to insurance companies and put barriers between patients and their doctors. The Affordable Care Act gives families the security they deserve. The new health care law forces insurance companies to play by the rules, prohibiting them from dropping your coverage if you get sick, billing you into bankruptcy because of an annual or lifetime limit, or, soon, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition. 

The new law also includes a number of key provisions designed to help make health care more affordable - and help address the drivers of health care costs. The new health care law is already making a difference. Many Americans are seeing lower costs, and health care spending growth in 2009 and 2010 decreased to record lows.

Here are more ways the law helps control costs for families and small businesses:

All of us -- men and women -- deserve the same quality health care that Members of Congress get.

Twenty million women with private insurance have already taken advantage of the health care law's prevention benefits. Now millions will get no-cost mammograms, contraception, and health check-ups starting this summer.

Yet, Republicans in Congress want to take away these protections. If it was up to them, insurance companies would be allowed to keep charging women more than men and denying them coverage because of "pre-existing conditions" like pregnancy or having been a victim of domestic violence.

Do Republicans in Congress really think their health care is good enough for them, but too good for women who've had children or been victims of domestic violence?

With this week being the 2nd anniversary of the Affordable Care Act law, today the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans calls upon Lt Governor Mary Taylor in her capacity as Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance to execute the duty of her office and move forward on the development of the Ohio Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace.

The Ohio Alliance calls upon the leadership of the General Assembly to take up SB 277 and HB 412 to create the necessary legislative authority to implement the exchange. Ohioans deserve a free and fair market from which to purchase health insurance.

The Lt Governor's resistance to change what is and the insistence on doing nothing for whatever her intent is harmful to the citizens of Ohio. The spiraling cost of the health system will not go away simply by starving the system of customers without insurance.

Tell Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor It's Time To Stop Playing Politics With Our Health Care!

Almost 4 million seniors saved about $2.16 billion through discounts for their prescription medications in 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services plans to announce today.

This, administrators say, should help keep costs to the government down in the future.

"Before, many beneficiaries were forced to stop taking the drugs," said Jonathan Blum, director of the Center for Medicare. "This reduces costs through better management."

When Medicare recipients are able to take their medications, Blum said, they are hospitalized less often for heart attacks, low blood sugar and asthma attacks. So far, he added, available data don't reflect savings for those hospitalizations to Medicare.

The 2010 health care law required a 50% discount on prescription drugs in the so-called doughnut hole, or the gap between traditional and catastrophic coverage in the Medicare drug benefit, also known as Part D. In 2012, the coverage gap is $2,930.

The Affordable Care Act eliminates the doughnut hole by 2020.

Whose side are you on Mary Taylor?

The federal health care law, the Affordable Care Act is turning TWO years old yet Mary Taylor is still using it for political gain instead of developing an Insurance Exchange for Ohioans.

Tell Mary Taylor to start building an Ohio based health care exchange now!

The Department of Insurance needs to set up an Ohio based health insurance marketplace to give Ohioans more control, quality choices and better protections when purchasing health insurance.

On Thursday, March 22nd we will be going to the Department of Insurance to rally and deliver the petition telling Mary Taylor to start working to set up an Ohio based health care exchange marketplace today!

Sign the petition to Tell Mary Taylor to stop playing politics and set up an Ohio based health care exchange marketplace today.

It is time to be on the side of Ohioans that need quality affordable health care options.

JOIN US

What: Celebrate the two year anniversary of the federal health care law and deliver a petition to Mary Taylor asking her to set up an Ohio based Health Care Exchange now.

Who: ProgressOhio, Constituents, Activists, Seniors, Communities United, Alliance for Retired Americans Ohio, Health Care for America Now (HCAN)

Where: Outside the Department of Insurance

50 W. Town St. Columbus, OH 43215

When: Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 11:00

If you can't join us on March 22nd, please click here to SIGN the petition to send Mary Taylor a message that it is time to move forward with the two year old law and create an Ohio based health care exchange now to side with Ohioans and not big business insurance companies.

For too long, too many hardworking Americans paid the price for policies that handed free rein to insurance companies and put barriers between patients and their doctors. The Affordable Care Act gives hardworking families in Ohio the security they deserve. The new health care law forces insurance companies to play by the rules, prohibiting them from dropping your coverage if you get sick, billing you into bankruptcy because of an annual or lifetime limit, or, soon, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition.

All Americans will have the security of knowing that they don't have to worry about losing coverage if they're laid off or change jobs.  And insurance companies now have to cover your preventive care like mammograms and other cancer screenings.  The new law also makes a significant investment in State and community-based efforts that promote public health, prevent disease and protect against public health emergencies.

Health reform is already making a difference for the people of Ohio by:

Last week State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) announced legislation that would protect men in Ohio from the risks of PDE-5 inhibitors, drugs commonly used to treat symptoms of impotence.  

Now an aide to Ohio state Rep. Ted Celeste says he will introduce a companion bill shortly, intended to support women's choice.

Sen Turner's proposed legislation includes provisions to document that the symptoms of impotence are not psychological in nature, and would guide men to make the right decision for their bodies. Physicians would be required to obtain a second opinion from a psychological professional to verify that a patient has a true medical malady before the medication could be prescribed.

Celeste's bill will reiterate what Turner advised, but he will raise the stakes with three additional provisions.

Viagra seekers will face a 36-hour waiting period for their prescriptions and a mandatory prostate exam, and if a professional evaluation shows impotence is psychological in nature, that data will stay in patients' records for seven years.

Celeste aide Aleksandra Panovska said the language is meant to mimic that of bills (like the 11 she says Ohio has seen) that take aim at women's reproductive rights.

The Ohio state senator and representative, both Democrats, are protesting the "heartbeat" bill, which passed the Ohio state House and forbids abortions of fetuses that have developed beating hearts.

Columbus, OH--Today, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage (OCHC) released its analysis of the oft-cited Milliman report commissioned by the Ohio Department of Insurance on the implementation of the health insurance Exchange. The Milliman report projects how the Affordable Care Act will likely impact the individual and small group health insurance markets. It incorporates an estimate of the number and characteristics of Ohioans who will likely purchase health coverage through the Exchange. OCHC's analysis points out the limitations of the report and how Ohio's Insurance Director, Mary Taylor, isn't telling the whole story.

"Because the Milliman report has been delivered to all lawmakers and because Director Taylor is using its conclusions as independent validation of her claim that a state-based Exchange will harm Ohio's consumers, we thought it was important to let policymakers and the public know there is a bigger story to be told," said Cathy Levine, co-chair of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage. "People will be helped, premium increases may not be as high as predicted, and there are important opportunities that Ohio lawmakers have to make sure Ohio's markets remain strong while extending coverage to hundreds of thousands of Ohioans."

In 2011, the Affordable Care Act provided approximately 54 million Americans with at least one new free preventive service through their private health insurance plans, and an estimated 32.5 million people with Medicare received at least one free preventive benefit in 2011. Together, this means an estimated 86 million Americans were helped by provisions in the health reform law that encourage prevention.

One of the major goals of the Affordable Care Act is to help people stay healthy by giving them the tools they need to take charge of their own health and supporting a culture of prevention, rather than focusing on treatment after people get sick.  

To do this, the health reform law requires many insurance plans to provide no-copay coverage for a variety of preventive health services, such as colonoscopy screenings for men, Pap smears and mammograms for women, well-child visits, and flu shots for all children and adults. The law also makes proven preventive services free for most people on Medicare.

Read more about the preventive services private insurers cover at no charge as a result of the Affordable Care Act here, and click here to learn about preventive services available through Medicare.

Join event sponsor SPAN Ohio and state director Kurt Bateman for a screening of The Healthcare Movie, a documentary film narrated by Keifer Sutherland about the development of healthcare delivery and the two divergent paths taken in North America in the 20th century. 

Bexley Public Library Auditorium, 2411 East Main Street Columbus, OH 43209

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; showing starts at 6:45 p.m. Running time 65 minutes.
Free and open to the public, however, only 50 seats available. Light refreshments provided and discussion to follow.

Contact: Kurt Bateman, span@spanohio.org

View Trailer: The Healthcare Movie:

Bill will create agency to implement health exchanges in Ohio

COLUMBUS -State Representatives Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and John Patrick Carney

(D-Columbus) introduced legislation today to create the Ohio Health Benefit Exchange Agency. This will establish the Ohio Health Benefit Exchange Program and include an exchange for individual coverage and a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP Exchange).  The exchange program will provide affordable coverage options for individuals and small business employers to provide health coverage for their employees throughout Ohio.

Rep. Antonio said, "We must be pro-active in designing the health exchanges and not leave the health care option decisions for the people of Ohio up to the Federal Government.  This legislation to create the Ohio exchange is intended to increase consumer choice of health plans."

This legislation will make quality health benefit plans available to individuals and employers who qualify beginning Jan. 1, 2014.  This exchange must be established and implemented in order to comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by Congress and to make Ohio eligible to receive an exchange establishment grant.

"We need clarity and certainty on these issues," Rep. Carney said, "Those who are operating small businesses in Ohio are very anxious because of the Department of Insurance's lack of a clear direction on whether Ohio will be establishing its own exchange.  After months of inaction and the forfeiture of millions of dollars in federal grant opportunities, we have decided to take matters into our own hands as a legislature."

Senator Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate, SB 277.

A bog post by Kathleen Gmeiner, Project Director, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage from over the holidays that we wanted to bring to your attention:

An interesting e-mail came into my box recently from Consumers Union.  CU looked at 50 state insurance department web sites and recorded what each state is doing to alert its residents to health insurance rate increase requests, and allow consumers to have an avenue for input. This follows the finalization of a rule on September 1, 2011 requiring states to post on their websites insurance companies' requests for rate increases of greater than 10% and provide a way for consumers to submit comments on the rate requests.

Of course, I immediately scrolled down to Ohio and here's what it says:

No information about rates or rate review.

Only seven other states had the same notation:  Alaska, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.  

What is particularly disturbing about Ohio's lack of progress is that in the fall of 2010 Ohio received $1 million to expand its rate review capacity, and $4 million was added in 2011.

COLUMBUS - Today, Representative John Patrick Carney (D- Columbus) has sent a letter to Lt. Governor Mary Taylor in response to comments she made calling his attempts to seek information about the creation of a Health Insurance Exchange in the State of Ohio a "political stunt" and "not a genuine effort to engage in proactive dialogue."

"As someone who has been a healthcare attorney for more than a decade, I am excited to sit down and have a substantive conversation about the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and its effects on the Ohio health insurance marketplace with Lt. Governor Taylor.  In fact, this is what I have been inviting her to do for the past month.  My objective has always been to provide effective and affordable healthcare while also protecting and promoting Ohio's economy."

A copy of the letter can be seen below:

Nationwide Health Care Law Helped 2.5 Million Young Adults

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report showing that the Affordable Care Act continues to significantly increase the number of young adults who have health insurance.

Before the Affordable Care Act, more young Americans lacked health insurance than any other age group - accounting for more than one in five of the uninsured.  Going without insurance put the health and finances of millions of young people at risk.

Contrary to the myth that young people don't need health insurance, one in six young adults has a chronic disease like cancer, diabetes or asthma.  Studies show that nearly half of uninsured young adults reported problems paying their medical bills and others forwent regular care, like checkups or recommended screenings, due to cost.

President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act to put affordable, quality health insurance back within reach of all Americans.  Thanks to the new law, young adults can now stay on their parents' plan up to age 26.

COLUMBUS - Today, Representative John Patrick Carney (D- Columbus) moved to subpoena Lt. Governor Mary Taylor to testify before the House Health and Aging committee.  Rep. Carney has been trying for nearly a month to have the Lt. Governor, who also serves as Director of the Department of Insurance, appear before the committee to discuss the Department's efforts in setting up an Ohio specific Health Benefits Exchange.

The Affordable Care Act passed by Congress in March 2010 allows citizens to purchase private Health Insurance on Insurance Exchanges beginning in January 2014.  States have an option to set up their own exchanges that meet the federal guidelines.  Insurance is one of Ohio's largest industries and the concern amongst Democrats is that Ohio's interests will be excluded from a federal exchange.

"Time is of the essence as there are federal grants available to set up an Ohio health insurance exchange yet no answers are forthcoming from Director Taylor," Rep. Carney said.  "Failure to act is an invitation to the Federal Government to run Ohio's healthcare industry."

After requests that Dept. of Insurance Director Lt. Gov. Taylor Testify are ignored

COLUMBUS - Today, Representative John Patrick Carney (D- Columbus) has sent a letter requesting that Governor Kasich provide an update on Ohio's progress in setting up a Health Insurance Exchange in compliance with the Affordable Care Act.  After several weeks of urging Rep. Wachtmann, Chair of the House Health and Aging Committee, to have Lt. Governor Mary Taylor provide testimony to the committee, Rep. Carney has decided to take his request straight to the governor.

"This is about Ohio jobs and providing some sense of certainty in Ohio's healthcare marketplace," Rep. Carney said. "Ohioans need to know that their government is going to act in their best interest regardless of partisan bickering.  It is imperative that we find out where the administration stands and that they provide some direction on this issue."

50 percent discounts in donut hole, free preventive care ease strain on seniors' pocketbooks thanks to health care law

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that as of the end of October, more seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare have seen significantly lower costs for important health care - through both discounts on brand-name drugs in the Medicare Part D "donut hole" coverage gap and free preventive care.

"Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans are receiving free preventive services and getting cheaper prescription drugs," said Acting CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.  "The open enrollment period ends tomorrow.  People with Medicare should review their current plans before midnight December 7, so they can make sure that the plan they will have in 2012 is the best one for their health care needs."

Data show that 2.65 million people with Medicare have saved more than $1.5 billion on their prescriptions - averaging about $569 per person.  In Ohio, 139,044 people with Medicare have saved $64,954,039 - averaging about $467 per person.

New Department of Health restrictions should be stopped

Columbus - On this World AIDS Day, Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) calls on the state of Ohio to commit more resources to HIV treatment and prevention and to stop the Ohio Department of Health from imposing rule changes that could restrict access to life saving drugs.

"Unfortunately, the scourge of HIV/AIDS has not diminished in the last 30 years and Franklin County has the highest number of new cases of HIV/AIDS in the state," said Senator Tavares.

This week a Franklin County judge temporarily stopped the Ohio Department of Health from reducing the number of people eligible for the Ohio HIV Drug Assistance program.  The Department had planned to cut eligibility for AIDS patients based on income--from 300 percent of the poverty level to just 100 percent.

COLUMBUS - Representative John Patrick Carney (D-Columbus) once again called on Representative Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon), Chairman of the House Health and Aging Committee (Committee), to schedule testimony from Lt. Governor Mary Taylor. 

In a letter today, Representative Carney reiterated the need for Lt. Governor Mary Taylor to testify before the Committee regarding Ohio's progress in setting up a statewide Health Insurance Exchange.  Lt. Governor Taylor also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, the agency responsible for instituting certain provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Representative Carney and Democratic Members of the Health and Aging Committee sent a similar memo earlier this month.

In response to the first letter, Representative Wachtmann stated that he had asked Director Taylor to provide hard copies of information to the Committee but that he would not be asking her to address the committee in person.

"It is perplexing to me and my colleagues why on November 18th Rep. Wachtmann indicated in Gongwer that he would 'welcome her' and 'it was a good idea' to have her testify and four days later issues a letter that she was going to provide a written report and not make herself available to answer questions." Rep. Carney said.

It is Time to Exchange Politics for Good Policy

Columbus, OH--Consumer advocates gathered today to call on Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Taylor to act now to start building an Ohio-based health insurance Exchange, or marketplace, as permitted under the Affordable Care Act. 

Thirteen other states have already enacted legislation to establish Exchanges. Ohio has until June 30, 2012 to pass legislation to establish a state-based Exchange and be eligible for implementation money. If Ohio does not establish a state Exchange, the federal government will establish one for Ohio. 

"We cannot let the politics of health care reform keep us from establishing a health insurance marketplace that works for Ohio's consumers and small businesses," said Col Owens, co-chair of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage. "Getting it right for the needs of Ohioans will take thoughtful planning and stakeholder input, and it will take time."

 According to policy experts, if it is built right, Ohio's Exchange could be a competitive marketplace allowing individuals and small businesses to join together to negotiate for insurance premiums and discounts the way larger companies do. The marketplace could provide an easy way to shop and compare insurance costs and benefits. By developing an Exchange that encourages insurance companies to compete for consumers' business, Ohioans would have more choices, better protections, and greater control.

More choices, more information, and better prices are just what Elizabeth Niswander needs from an Exchange. Niswander, an employee in the nonprofit and the service industries, is without health insurance. 

"There are many Ohioans just like me. We are working in our communities but struggle to find affordable health insurance," said Niswander. "We could all benefit from a consumer friendly exchange, a resource that will help me find insurance coverage options, compare insurance plans and their costs, and get financial assistance to help me afford health insurance premiums."

The Akron/Canton Area Agency on Aging and the Southwest Ohio Care Transitions Collaborative today became two of seven organizations across the country selected to test new ways to improve care for people with Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced.

"Lack of coordinated care between hospitals and caretakers such as nursing homes or home health providers can sometimes result in medical complications and costly, potentially avoidable return trips to the hospital," said Donald M. Berwick, M.D., CMS administrator. "These programs will be looking at methods to improve collaboration among caregivers to promote better health and better use of health care dollars."

The new Community-Based Care Transitions Program was created by the Affordable Care Act, the new health care law of 2010. The program will help the selected community-based organizations form partnerships with hospitals to prevent problems after patients leave the hospital.  Today's announcement will support 38 local hospitals and help more than 34,000 Medicare beneficiaries across the country.

The Community-Based Care Transitions Program is an initiative of the Partnership for Patients, a new public-private partnership created by the new health care law. Partnership for Patients is designed to help improve the quality, safety, and affordability of health care for beneficiaries of Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.  The Partnership's two goals are to reduce harm in hospital settings by 40 percent and to reduce hospital readmissions by 20 percent over a three-year period.  By forming partnerships with hospitals and other health care providers, community organizations will help beneficiaries stay in contact with their doctors and ensure proper post-acute care steps are being followed.

COLUMBUS - Democratic members of the Ohio House Health and Aging committee want Lt. Governor Mary Taylor to provide an update on Ohio's progress in setting up a Health Insurance Exchange in compliance with the Affordable Care Act.  Lt. Gov. Taylor is Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, and Democrats on the committee have sent a memo to Chairman Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) requesting that she testify at an upcoming meeting of the committee.

"This is about jobs and serving Ohioans by providing choice. There is general consensus in the healthcare community that an Ohio exchange separate from the feds is in the best interest of Ohio consumers and Ohio business," said Rep. John Patrick Carney (D-Columbus).  "We know that there is money out there for setting up these exchanges and Ohio has already received grant money for researching and planning an exchange.  We just want a status report on the process."

The Affordable Care Act passed by Congress in March 2010 allows citizens to purchase private Health Insurance on Insurance Exchanges beginning in January 2014.  States have an option to set up their own exchanges that meet the federal guidelines.  Insurance is one of Ohio's largest industries and the concern amongst Democrats is that Ohio's interests will be excluded from a federal exchange.

The Supreme Court said today it will hear a challenge to the health-care overhaul act passed in 2010, with a decision on President Obama's most controversial domestic achievement likely to come in the summer of his reelection campaign.

The court said it will decide whether the Affordable Care Act exceeded Congress's power by requiring almost all Americans to have health insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty; whether the massive law can survive without the so-called individual mandate; and whether it is premature for the court to pass judgment on the act.

35 legislators sign on as co-sponsors

COLUMBUS - State Representatives Ted Celeste (D-Grandview Heights) and Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) today reintroduced legislation that would expand insurance coverage for children with autism. The bill, which passed the House in the previous General Assembly, is co-sponsored by 35 Democrat members.

"We can no longer afford inaction," said Rep. Celeste. "We cannot turn our backs on our future generations by denying them the coverage they need to reach their full potential. The long-term costs of children receiving services are great, both to the individual and economically to our state. Autism is a lifelong disorder, and people who don't receive services are often dependent upon publicly-funded state services throughout their lifetime. I know there are thousands of hard-working families in Ohio who would instantly benefit from this bill. This legislation is long overdue."

The proposed legislation would prohibit private health insurance companies from excluding coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is a complex, lifelong, neurobiological disorder, involving impairments in communication, social and behavior domains.

COLUMBUS, OH - Executive Director, Brian Rothenberg issued the following statement below in response to today's election results on State Issue 3. This statement can be used by the press in whole or in part.

"Today's vote to pass Issue 3 is not vote or a message against the federal health care law but rather a testament to the power of words which created deliberately confusing ballot language that misled many voters as evidenced by public polling.

"Despite this, we want to thank the many ProgressOhio and No on Issue 3 advocates who from July on reviewed thousands of petitions and campaigned endlessly."

"The under resourced campaign conducted by the No on Issue 3 Committee ran a small but effective grassroots campaign of nurses, doctors, consumer and health care advocates as evidenced by the almost unanimous endorsements against Issue 3 from most of the newspapers across the state."

"When reflecting on today's passage of Issue 3 let's remember that the final decision on the ACA lies in the hands of the courts like the one today that just ruled in favor of the law.  Ultimately it will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court." 

"It is important to remember that even today as Issue 3 passed, thousands of Ohioans have health insurance, those under 26 on their parents insurance and those with pre-existing conditions, that wouldn't have coverage without the federal health care law."

Issue 3 will have no effect on "Obamacare" but it will hurt Ohio!

During these last few days before election day, big-money from out of state groups are flooding Ohio with misleading campaign literature, portraying Issue 3 as a way to exempt Ohioans from the recently enacted federal health insurance mandate.

Here's a snippet from a flyer that's showing up in Ohio mailboxes, paid for by the Alliance for America's Future, a group led by Mary Cheney out of Alexandria, Virginia:

"Yes on Issue 3 makes the Obamacare mandate, requiring every American to purchase health insurance, illegal in our state."

That's completely false. Even the people responsible for putting Issue 3 on the ballot have admitted that their amendment would have no impact on the legality of Obamacare in Ohio.

Watch It:

VOTE NO ON ISSUE 3

TO AVOID HURTING OHIO WITH COSTLY LAWSUITS

MAJOR OHIO NEWSPAPERS ARE UNANIMOUS

COLUMBUS- The No on Issue 3 Committee, a statewide coalition of nearly 40 organizations, today announced that with the Youngstown Vindicator's October 31 editorial, every major Ohio daily newspaper has now urged voters to reject Issue 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that will be on the November 8 ballot.

The major dailies are:

Cleveland Plain Dealer Columbus Dispatch

Cincinnati Enquirer Akron Beacon Journal

Toledo Blade Canton Repository

Athens Messenger & Athens News Youngstown Vindicator

With all the talk about Issue 2 (Vote NO!) there is another ballot issue that seems to be slipping under the radar for most voters.  While supporters of Issue 3 try to say it is just about stopping the Affordable Care Act, this poorly-written law will do damage to Ohio. 

Law professors from across the state agree that Issue 3 is so badly worded that it would likely throw a wrench in many of the following programs:  

• Workers Compensation
• COBRA
• insurance coverage in child support orders
• college student health insurance requirements
• disease and immunization tracking or requirements
• stopping pill mills
• court ordered healthcare for the mentally ill and substance abusers
• consumer protection against fake health insurance
• consumer protection against false medical treatments
• medical worker and insurance agent licensing
• and many more... 

That is why every major newspaper editorial board, including newspapers who opposed federal healthcare reform, like the Columbus Dispatch and the Plain Dealer, have endorsed a No vote on Issue 3. 

The NO on Issue 3 committee has put together a quick video highlighting some of the many important health and safety programs that would be banned or curtailed if Issue 3 passes. 

Please watch this important video and share the word to your friends and family: Issue 3 is bad medicine for Ohio.  Vote NO on Issue 3!

Programs provide benefits to 1 out of every 6 residents, contribute $64 billion per year to state economy

COLUMBUS, OH- A new report issued today (http://bit.ly/s4htzp) outlines the importance of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to people in Ohio and the state's economy.

The report comes out just as Ohio Senator Rob Portman finishes his work on the congressional Super Committee tasked with reducing the federal deficit. The Committee must recommend at least $1.2 trillion in spending cuts by November 23. The full Congress must approve these recommendations by the end of the year, or it will trigger automatic deficit reduction.

At an event today, the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans and the Strengthen Social Security campaign unveiled the report detailing the number of Ohio residents who rely on these programs as well as the economic impact and number of jobs in Ohio the programs support.

The march toward a clean sweep of newspaper editorial endorsements against Issue 3 continues.

Friday, the Canton Repository (a usually reliable "conservative" newspaper) joined the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch, Akron Beacon Journal and Toledo Blade in urging a "No on Issue 3" vote. 

IT WON'T AFFECT "OBAMACARE"  BUT PUTS OTHER STATE LAWS AT RISK

Columbus, OH: Today, health advocates, voters rights groups, policy advocates, legal experts, professors, and medical professionals stood together to ask Ohio voters to reject state Issue 3, or the so called 'Ohio Health Care Freedom Amendment.'  The Vote No on Issue 3 coalition named its co-chairs and other organizations opposing Issue 3. The coalition's co-chairs are:

• Jessie Hill, Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law

• Maxwell Mehlman, Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law

• Dr. Arthur Lavin, Pediatrician in private practice, Cleveland, Ohio

• Dr. Donald Nguyen, Medical Director and Chief of Pediatric Urology at Children's Medical Center, Dayton, Ohio

• Cathy Allen, President and Owner of Creative Option C, a small business in Marblehead, Ohio.

The Tea Party and other proponents of the amendment claim its passage would nullify the so-called "individual mandate" to purchase health insurance contained in the Affordable Care Act, or what critics call "Obamacare."

Local Seniors celebrate new data showing continued reduction in costs for Medicare expenses as a result of the Affordable Care Act

Columbus, Ohio- Yesterday, the Center for Medicare & Medicate Services (CMS) released new data demonstrating that steadily increasing numbers of seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in Medicare in Ohio are seeing reduced health care costs and taking advantage of free preventive care services as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
 
Across the country, more than 20.5 million Medicare enrollees received free preventative services or were able to meet with their doctor at free Annual Wellness Visits. In Ohio and from coast to coast, a total of 1.8 million seniors have received discounts on name-brand drugs, as part of the Medicare Part D coverage gap, also known as the Medicare Donut Hole. The Affordable Care Act allows seniors to receive 50% discounts on their brand name prescription drugs once they hit the donut hole, saving $1 billion through August of this year and millions of dollars for Ohio seniors.

The North Portico exterior of the White House is illuminated pink, Oct. 3, 2011, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month - a time to remember those who have lost their lives to breast cancer and those who are battling it now, and to celebrate with those who have survived. It is also a time to reaffirm our commitment to fighting breast cancer and to remind ourselves of the importance of prevention and early detection.

Breast cancer remains one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers among American women and despite remarkable advances in treatment and prevention, it remains the second leading cause of cancer death.

A new website was launched today by the No on Issue 3 campaign to prevent a change to the Ohio Constitution that would have wide-ranging impacts on the health and pocketbooks of all Ohio families.

The site is online at http://www.votenoissue3.com.

This website announcement is only the first step in what will be a determined effort to keep this poorly written bill out of the Ohio Constitution and protect Ohio families from its unintended consequences.

September 23rd marks one year since numerous patient protections went into effect following the passage of health care reform. 

Because so many of these popular provisions get over-shadowed by misunderstandings and false information about the Affordable Care Act, it seems appropriate that we use this occasion to celebrate our progress.

Here are some of the more popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act that are already contributing to better health care for many of us:

• Denying coverage for children because of their health status is prohibited. Denying coverage for treatment of a child's pre-existing condition is also prohibited.
• Insurers will no longer be able to drop people from coverage just because they get sick.
• Qualifying young adults may remain on their parents' policies until age 26 if those policies provide dependent coverage.
• Life-time limits are eliminated on most policies.
• Annual limits are restricted (and will be eliminated in 2014).
  
• Key preventive care, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations, pre-natal and new baby care will be covered without co-pays or deductibles.
  
• Prior authorization cannot be required for emergency care; higher costs cannot be imposed for out-of-network emergency care.
  
• Women now have direct access to OB/GYNs without a referral.
• Enrollees in new plans must have a choice of primary care physicians.
• Waiting periods for employee coverage cannot exceed 90 days.
  
• Persons who have been denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions and have been uninsured for six months may be able to purchase a Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.

Affordable Care Act grants provide $4,091,507 to help fight health insurance premium hikes in Ohio

HHS releases new report showing how rate review protects consumers

U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced Affordable Care Act grant awards of $4,091,507 to Ohio that will help fight unreasonable premium increases and protect consumers. Today, HHS also released a new report entitled Rate Review Works detailing how previous rate review grants are fighting premium hikes and helping make the health insurance marketplace more transparent.

"We're committed to fighting unreasonable premium increases and we know rate review works," said Secretary Sebelius. "States continue to have the primary responsibility for reviewing insurance rates and these grants give them more resources to hold insurance companies accountable."

CLEVELAND - Call it the new favorite slang or movie title de jour, but at Case Western Reserve University Law School today "Friends With Benefits" refers to the very real issue of healthcare reforms and the new benefits provided by the Affordable Care Act to all American young people under 26 years of age.

At a gathering at Case Western University Law School, a panel of students and healthcare professionals described the widely unknown aspects of the new Affordable Care Act - enacted by Congress in 2010 -and explained how the law will positively impact every young person in the nation.

Jessie Hill, Professor of Law,  addressing the group, noted the positive impact of the Affordable Care Act.

"It not only will save millions of college and graduate school students money they often do not have, but that it will safeguard their health while in college," Hill said.  "That's because the ACA's focus on preventative care will mean check-ups that could detect life altering conditions, or diseases which young people would not be aware of until later in life.  That early detection will save taxpayer dollars and potentially lives. "

OHIOANS, STAND UP! BE COUNTED!

MEDICAID MATTERS!

MAKE A DIFFERENCE! WE NEED YOUR VOICE!

Medicaid is under attack. Talk of cuts are everywhere. Congress' "Super-Committee" will make decisions about the nation's debt in coming weeks that will have long-term impact on the lives of people with disabilities, the poor and the elderly.

Ohio Senator Rob Portman is part of Congress' "Super-Committee" He needs to know that Medicaid touches the lives of thousands of Ohioans.

Instead of "reforming Medicaid" by cutting services and shifting the costs to the states we need REAL Medicaid reform that not only contains costs but also protects the civil rights of the poor, of seniors and of people with disabilities.

A large group of national organizations representing a cross-section of populations including disability, aging and civil rights organizations are holding a "My Medicaid Matters" Rally in Washington DC, September 21, on Capitol Hill.

The Greater Driving Park Democratic Caucus, Tuesday, held the first of many Woman's Health Care and Reproductive Rights Forums to occur in neighborhoods across the state.

This Community Forum allowed Community Health Groups to discuss the fact that Women's health and rights are in jeopardy and close local sites for women's health care is harder to find.

The numerous requests that the Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus has received from around the state for this forum only highlights the need for discussion on women's health and women's rights.

Columbus- Over 125 retired senior citizens gathered in Columbus this afternoon to learn why the Federal Affordable Care act is good for them and all Ohio citizens. The occasion was the annual fall convention of the Ohio Alliance of Retired Americans which focused on defending Medicare and essential healthcare reforms against disinformation and unwarranted attacks.

The Alliance President, David Friesner, told the retirees that unless they step forward and aggressively engage their communities to support Medicare and the Affordable Care Act that they will "be at the mercy of the unregulated healthcare market" while they are reduced to "waving a Paul Ryan voucher at faceless bureaucrats" while trying to get medical services.

"This is now the third of four court rulings that serve to bolster the Affordable Care Act (the federal health care law). The legal system is a long and winding road that at this point seems to be arriving at the conclusion that the ACA will be upheld. Ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court will decide this." Stated Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio.

This statement is in reference to the fact that The Fourth Circuit just handed down two opinions ordering that Virgina Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's and Jerry Falwell's Liberty University's challenges to the Affordable Care Act must be dismissed entirely on jurisdictional grounds.

CLEVELAND- ProgressOhio today held a press conference in partnership with State Rep. Mike Foley (D-OH 14^th Ohio House Dist.) to discuss the unintended consequences that could result from State Issue 3.

Regarding State Issue 3's proposed amendment to the Ohio constitution (on the November ballot), Brian Rothenberg, ProgressOhio Executive Director stated, "The "Ohio Health Care Freedom Amendment" is so ambiguously worded that it would threaten a wide range of already-existing Ohio health programs, practices and policies".

State Representative Foley highlighted one aspect of the unintended consequences of Issue 3 "in this tough economic climate, do we really want to inject something into the Ohio constitution that would freeze laws and policies around COBRA health insurance?".

While Issue 3 is apparently aimed at eliminating the so-called "individual mandate" to purchase health insurance under the recently enacted Affordable Care Act, few Ohioans appear to have actually read the full text of the proposed amendment. Yet the language, definitions and prohibitions contained in the amendment are so broadly worded that Issue 3 would also ban or freeze in place (and not allow for any future changes to) countless other laws, rules and reporting requirements. These laws and policies in jeopardy are designed to provide oversight of the medical and insurance professions, and to protect workers, consumers and the public health.

Among the laws, programs and policies likely to be affected are:

Amendment Wording Threatens Numerous Ohio Laws, Rules and Regulations

Columbus: Innovation Ohio, a progressive think tank headquartered in Columbus, along with Professors Maxwell Mehlman and Jessie Hill of the Case Western University School of Law today charged that a proposed amendment to the Ohio constitution, the "Ohio Health Care Freedom Amendment" (Issue 3 on the November ballot), is "so sloppily and ambiguously worded that it would threaten a wide range of already-existing Ohio health programs, practices and policies enacted and supported by Republican and Democratic office-holders alike."

The analysis, done jointly by IO and Professors Mehlman and Hill, is contained in a report entitled "Bad Medicine: Unintended Consequences of Ohio's Issue 3."  Read the report here.

Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio issued the following statement in response to a new Affordable Care Act rule proposed by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury to make health coverage more consumer-friendly:

"This new policy means that Ohioans will be able to make educated decisions about their insurance choices by simply reading their health benefits and coverage. By simplifying the language and ensuring that information is clear and understandable, this policy eliminates much of the existing confusion surrounding health care.

"Workers and employers both win with this new rule, which ensures that Americans better understand their choices in health care. With clear choices between plans and benefits, the 180 million health insurance consumers with private health insurance coverage will now be able to make informed decisions about their health coverage.

Free markets depend on information and with this rule Ohio consumers will have easier access than ever." 

Information about the proposed regulation is available at: http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/labels08172011a.html.

To view the proposed template for the Summary of Benefits and Coverage, visit: http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/labels08172011b.pdf

To view the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking or learn how to submit public comment, visit: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/

Other technical information is available at: http://cciio.cms.gov/

Senior citizens and healthcare advocates descended upon Rep. Steve Chabot's town hall meeting in St. Bernard this morning determined to finally get some answers on how he stands of the vital issues of Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

Previous attempts have been thwarted as no person in attendance was permitted to speak--essentially forcing all citizens to remain mute and allowing Chabot to only answers questions posed by his staff.

This November, a constitutional amendment to prohibit the Affordable Care Act to require all Ohioans to purchase health care coverage will be on the ballot as Issue 3.

Ohioans will now have a choice -- to return to the days when children were denied insurance coverage over pre-existing conditions; return to the days when seniors have to choose between prescription drugs and groceries; return to the days when young adults can't stay on their parents insurance and return to the days when small businesses did not get tax breaks for providing insurance.

Last Saturday former Governor Ted Strickland addressed activists leading the effort to fight against those who want to take away all the benefits to Ohioans of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The Columbus Dispatch

. . . supporters of the federal health-care law are challenging an issue on the November ballot to invalidate a requirement starting in 2014 that people without health insurance must buy it.

In a lawsuit filed in the Ohio Supreme Court late yesterday, a coalition opposed to Issue 3 disputed the validity of more than 69,000 petition signatures, most collected by paid circulators.

Husted recently certified 426,998 signatures for the constitutional amendment; 385,245 signatures of registered Ohio voters, or 10 percent of the total vote cast for governor in 2010, were required to place the issue on the November ballot.

If the court agrees and tosses 69,000 signatures, those seeking to repeal the health-care law would fall short and Issue 3 could be removed from the ballot.

Rothenberg, speaking for the anti-Issue 3 coalition, said 300 volunteers reviewed tens of thousands of signatures. Many of those signatures being contested were collected by paid circulators who failed to register as required with the secretary of state.

Republicans are leading the effort to get the new law repealed.

Related:

Group challenges Ohio health care ballot measure

ProgressOhio Statement on the Challenge Filed on Issue 3

This afternoon, a coalition of health care advocacy organizations, concerned citizens, doctor and nurses opposed to Issue 3, which seeks to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act, filed a legal challenge based on their independent review of the petition process. ProgressOhio's Brian Rothenberg issued the following statement:

"Almost 300 volunteers spent the last three weeks reviewing tens of thousands of petitions. They did so because they understand that the Affordable Care Act freed Ohioans from lifetime caps on insurance and young adults from pre-existing condition insurance denials, made members of Congress use the same health care plans as those available to the public, provided small businesses with tax breaks, reduces prescription drug costs for seniors and allows young adults to stay on their parents insurance. They also understand that the ACA will give all Ohioans with pre-existing conditions access to affordable health coverage in 2014.

"Our review was severely hampered because many county boards of elections have yet to comply with the Ohio open records law even at this date - the deadline to file a challenge. Because of this we have prepared our challenge based only on the petitions for which we were able to gain access to in the allotted time.

"Nevertheless, our review of the petitions we were provided has led to our challenge today of over 69,000 petition signatures - primarily those collected by paid circulators.

"It is notable that, despite our disagreement over the issue, the work their volunteers put in over the past two years circulating petitions did not reveal many errors, but they lacked sufficient signatures to reach the ballot. Clearly the last minute influx of money and paid circulators to push this ballot initiative over the threshold may have provided enough signatures for them to file, but it also has created the legal issues that are the foundation of this challenge."

Liberal group weighs health care petition protest

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A liberal policy group has until Friday to decide whether to challenge petitions supporting a fall ballot measure offering Ohioans a chance to opt out of portions of the national health care overhaul.

ProgressOhio launched an independent review of more than 546,000 signatures collected by Ohioans for Healthcare Freedom, the assortment of tea party organizations, small government advocates and religious groups that backs the amendment. Executive Director Brian Rothenberg said initial findings suggested as many as 20 percent of petitions were flawed.

Secretary of State Jon Husted (HYOO'-stehd) last week certified the issue for the Nov. 8 ballot, ruling 427,000 of its signatures valid. That was well over the roughly 358,000 needed.

If a challenge is successful, the measure's proponents would have 10 days to collect more signatures.

Cincinnati --- To mark the 46th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, the Cincinnati retirees, members of the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans and community allies from the Campaign for Better Care marked this important birthday in Cincinnati with a sidewalk celebration passing out birthday cake. As part of the celebration retirees and seniors asked area members of Congress about the future of Medicare.

"I'd ask some simple questions. Is it Medicare with a premium supplement? What happens to us and our medical treatment when the federal government reaches the spending limit? Isn't that rationing? It will be a different America when Medicaid no longer covers long-term care such as nursing homes? Will they evict us to the streets when the money is shut off?" asked Sally Steagall of Bond Hill, Treasurer of the Ohio Alliance.

"Retirees in Ohio are struggling to get by, but they know how much worse things would be without Medicare.  Without Medicare, all but the very wealthy would be without heath care as we age. Medicare is the United States of America's 46 year public healthcare insurance plan for Older Americans that is available, affordable, accessible, and comprehensive in the services it covers. Medicare is there when we need it, with low administrative costs and a choice of doctors and providers," said Steagall.

The sidewalk demonstration focused on the future of Medicare and Medicaid and the separate views about access to health care for older Americans that are being debated in the Congress. Seniors and retirees celebrated Medicare's 46 years of improvements in the health and longevity of retired workers who produced the wealth of the nation.

COLUMBUS - Secretary of State Jon Husted today certified 426,998 signatures for a Constitutional Amendment related to the federal healthcare reform legislation, meeting the necessary requirements to place the amendment on the 2011 November ballot. Petitioners needed 385,245 signatures or 10 percent of the total vote cast for Governor in 2010.

As part of the total number of signatures needed to place the measure on the ballot, petitioners also needed to collect signatures from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, and within each of those counties, to collect enough signatures equal to five percent of the total vote cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election, 2010. Petitioners met this requirement in 82 counties.

In the next few days, the Secretary of State will announce that the Ohio Project has enough valid signatures to get onto the ballot, but with barely any padding for errors. 

With such a small number of extra signatures, we are very close to get them knocked off the ballot, but only with your help.  Please sign up to volunteer this week.  Its your last chance to help stop this ballot amendment and protect our healthcare!

We will be filing challenges to the petitions but putting it together takes time.  If we are going to file our challenges in time, we only have until the end of the day this Sunday July 31st to review the signatures. That is only 6 days left to make a difference! 

Please come in for only a few hours during the next 6 days.

Canton, Ohio- Denied much of a voice at a recent Representative Renacci town hall meeting, two dozen of his constituents paid him a personal visit at his Canton office on Thursday afternoon.

Renacci's staff limited discussion at the town hall meeting using a confusing red card, green card system to "ask" constituents their opinions. Thursday afternoon, waving the now- symbolic Red cards over their heads, the group - organized by Healthcare for America Now and their partner ProgressOhio - presented the Renacci staff with a bound copy of genuine stories and individual personal pleas from his constituents that he safeguard essential Medicaid services.

As the nation prepares to celebrate 46 years of Medicaid and Medicare, politicians in Washington are negotiating a deal that could make this the programs' last birthday. Last month, Congressman Steve Stivers voted for the Republican budget that would cut Medicaid for seniors, people with disabilities, and children - while protecting tax breaks for millionaires.

Maurice Thompson, Executive Director of the 1851 Constitutional Law Center, explains how the 1851 Center's Health Care Constitutional Amendment effort is motivated by their hope to get a big payday as Special Counsel to the Attorney General's Office.

Watch It:

Don't let them get a payday off the backs of the poor and sick!

Sign up to help keep the amendment off the ballot today!

Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 7:30 pm
Sat/Sun 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
(2 Hour Shifts requested)
Denise@progressohio.org
614-441-9145

Concerned for Ohio womens' access to reproductive health care under new law

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) today released the following statement in response to Gov. Kasich's signing of HB 78, which would ban abortions after 20 weeks. Rep. Antonio's statement is below:

"Putting HB 78 into law will have a chilling effect on women's reproductive health care in Ohio.  This law is a legislative overreach which could possibly put women's lives in danger" said Rep. Antonio.  "I once again urge the General Assembly to join me and Sen. Minority Leader Cafaro in supporting the Ohio Prevention First Act we recently introduced.  This bill supports women as fully responsible and capable citizens who are entitled to full access to contraceptives, comprehensive reproductive health information and compassionate assistance for rape victims."

Ohio Election Law Opponents Submit Initial Petitions

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Opponents of Ohio's new election overhaul have taken the first step in their effort to stop parts of the law from taking effect.

The group Fair Elections Ohio said Monday it has handed in the first 1,000 signatures needed to state officials. If approved, the coalition would then have to gather roughly 231,000 valid signatures by Sept. 29 to suspend the parts of the law until voters can decide in 2012 whether to keep or repeal them.

Former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, liberal group ProgressOhio and others, support having a ballot issue.

Among other changes, the law shortens the state's early voting period, bans in-person early voting on Sundays and prohibits boards of election from mailing unsolicited absentee ballot requests.

The group contends those provisions and others place barriers on voters.

Visit WHIOTV.com

Bill's foes confident of having numbers

SPRINGFIELD -- Opponents of the national health care bill are confident they will have enough valid signatures to place the Ohio Healthcare Freedom Amendment on the November ballot.

"I think we will make it on the ballot, but I think it will be close because groups like ProgressOhio will challenge our signatures," said Laura Rosenberger, a local Ohio Project coordinator who along with other volunteers collected signatures in Clark County.

...

ProgressOhio, a liberal group that is a proponent of the health care bill, is reviewing signatures turned into the Secretary of State's office.

Brian Rothenberg, executive director of ProgressOhio, touted the health care bill as one that improves health care coverage for Americans, including barring insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, and allowing parents to keep children on their health care insurance until they're 26.

Read the full piece at The Springfield News-Sun

Sign Up Now To Help us Stop The Ohio Tea Party's Attacks Against The Federal Health Care Law

Group to protest Renacci stance on Medicare

JACKSON TWP. -- ProgressOhio has planned a protest for Thursday afternoon to express its unhappiness with what they believe is U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci's stance on Medicare and Medicaid.

The protest is planned for 2 p.m. outside Renacci's district office at 4150 Belden Village St. NW, Suite 408. Renacci, R-Wadsworth, represents Ohio's 16th District.

Denise Gastesi, an outreach coordinator for ProgressOhio, said the protest is a reaction to their belief that Renacci avoided questions about Medicare and Medicaid during a town hall event on June 30. ProgressOhio contends Renacci's staff barred some from commenting and steered questions away from Medicare and Medicaid funding.

"People didn't get as much of an option at the town hall to voice their opinion," Gastesi said. Plans are for people to gather outside the building to let Renacci know that they want their voice heard on Medicare.

ProgressOhio also is collecting stories from 16th District residents about Medicare and Medicaid and plans to deliver this information to Renacci's staff.

In response to HHS's announcement on improving access to school-based healthcare, ProgressOhio issued the following statement:

It's unfortunate that we need to point this out but everyone that wants to take away Medicare from seniors would also take away healthcare from kids in these 6 neighborhoods in Ohio. Since the Republican budget that ends Medicare would also repeal the Affordable Care Act under it this announcement today that provides health care for kids at their school would not be able to happen.

It's time for the Republicans in Congress to focus on protecting Medicare for seniors and health care for kids in Ohio instead of providing tax breaks to millionaires, big oil companies and private jet owners.

School-based health centers are a major component of the nation's health care safety net. They not only enable children with acute or chronic illnesses to attend school, but also improve the overall health and wellness of all children through health screenings, health promotion and disease prevention activities.

More information on the program - www.hrsa.gov/ourstories/schoolhealthcenters/

Full list of the 278 schools being helped - http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/07/20110714grantee.html

Liberal group reviewing health-reform petition

ProgressOhio, a liberal political group, is working to review the signatures recently turned in attempting to place the Ohio Healthcare Freedom Amendment on November's ballot.

It would forbid federal, state and local governments from mandating that Ohio residents buy health insurance.

The petition, circulated by the Ohio Project and tea party groups, had more than 546,000 signatures when submitted to the secretary of state last week. At least 385,245 must be deemed valid signatures of registered Ohio voters to put the amendment on the ballot.

Brian Rothenberg, the executive director of ProgressOhio, said the group is training volunteers to check for irregularities.

Read More at The Columbus Dispatch

Sign up now to Fight against Health Care Repeal!

Sign up now to help us fight against Health Care Repeal!

Repealing the health care law would get rid of important tax breaks for small businesses.

We need your help to keep the Health Care Repeal Issue off of the Ballot this fall. Could you plan on donating some of your time this summer to review petition signatures to ensure their validity?

The Federal Health Care Law (ACA) is already allowing individuals with preexisting conditions to get health insurance, allowing young adults to get insurance on their parents plan until they are 26 and it is also already assisting seniors with free preventative health visits and financial assistance to those seniors in the donut hole.

The Tea Party has been circulating a petition for some time to put an issue on the ballot blocking the implementation of the Federal Health Care Law here in Ohio.  They  filed on June 6th with the Secretary of State's office to get the issue on the ballot.

We are recruiting volunteers to verify the validity of the signatures. We will need volunteers beginning on July 16th until Mid-August.

We are putting the schedule together now.  

We have shifts available from 9:00 am to 7:30 pm Monday - Friday and 10:00 AM-8PM Saturday and Sunday beginning Saturday, July 16^th until August 7th. 

There will be a training session on Wednesday July 13 at 5:30 at 3886 North High Street, Columbus (Clintonville), Ohio 43214.  The office is located in Clintonville across from the Park of Roses and has free parking. Please contact me at denise@progressohio.org or 614-441-9145 of 614-562-4768 to RSVP for the training.  If you can't make the training you can still sign up to volunteer.  We will make sure that you have an individual training. All volunteers will receive free training.

Can we count on you?

To volunteer please contact Denise@progressohio.org or 614-441-9145 or Cell-614-562-4768. 

Footage of Maurice Thompson, Executive Director of the 1851 Constitutional Law Center, speaking at a press conference about submitting signatures to put the repeal of Healthcare Reform in the Ohio Constitution.

Maurice claims that The Ohio Project, the entity collecting the signatures to put the constitutional amendment on the ballot, has a 90% validation rate on signatures..

Historically, the highest validation rate has been 62% on the smoking ban in 2006. Why would the Ohio Project have such a high rate, despite collecting over two years?

Watch as the Tea Party's Thompson claims that their "valid signature rate" is so high because they didn't pay their volunteers with "cigarettes and crack cocaine". 

We'll see of the Ohio Boards of Elections agree with his count . . .

Watch It:

Sign up now to help us fight against Health Care Repeal!

Proposed constitutional amendment would hurt Ohioans and benefit insurance companies
 
Columbus - State Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) issued the following statement today to comment on a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to allow the state of Ohio to opt out of portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act:

"This effort to protect Ohioans from themselves is bizarre.  We the people elect those who supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 

This initiative is an attempt to protect the insurance companies and health care industry at the expense of the people.  This is an unnecessary and flawed solution in search of a problem. 

We do not need to add protections for the insurance industry to our Ohio Constitution."

Canton Repository Article: Constituents React "100 percent" negatively at Renacci Town Hall

http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x1721561689/Renacci-town-hall-meeting-turns-combative

U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci had a hard time getting his message across during a town hall meeting Thursday as he was repeatedly interrupted.

The interruptions didn't come from a vocal minority, but, in a room at Malone University's Johnson Center that appeared to be populated by slightly more detractors than supporters, almost 100 percent of the comments came from those opposed to Renacci's statements, which were aimed at reduction of the federal deficit.

Renacci, R-Wadsworth, had a slide presentation that was supposed to take about the first half-hour of the 90-minute meeting, according to a spokesman. That turned into the first hour because of continued interruptions.

The meeting, billed as a "Conversation with your Congressman," turned into a "Confrontation with your Congressman" as one man was escorted out after continually and loudly calling Renacci's statements lies. Renacci had warned at the start of the meeting that if the discussion wasn't kept on a civil level, people would be asked to leave. Another man stormed out, denouncing Renacci's support of a Republican fiscal measure.

The freshman congressman was criticized for what he said were non-partisan budget facts, to his fiscal stance, to his reference to the president's health care plan "Obamacare."

Read More From The Canton Repository

Medicare and Medicaid went into effect 45 years ago today on July 1,1966.

Every Republican in the Ohio Caucus has voted this year to End Medicare As We Know It and to increase Ohio seniors Health Care costs by $6,698.00 per year.

Yes, they want to replace Medicare with The Republican Medicare Plan: Get Older Pay More With No Guaranteed Health Care Coverage.

We'll stick with our current Medicare on its' 45th Birthday and wish it many, many more years!

The Bill's signing on July 30,1965.

Watch It:

On Wednesday, a three-judge panel at the Sixth U.S Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati in a 2-1 decision upheld a lower court ruling that the federal health reform law's individual mandate is constitutional, the New York Times reports (Sack, New York Times, 6/29).

Approximately 20 protestors stood on High Street today outside of the Federal Building to send a message to Rep. Steve Stivers that he should not play roulette with our Medicaid System by cutting Medicaid and possibly throwing seniors out of nursing homes.

Seniors and people with disabilities make up one-quarter of Medicaid enrollees but two-thirds of Medicaid spending. Medicaid is the primary payer for 64 percent of all nursing home residents. Millions of seniors would be left without nursing home coverage, their families forced to dig into their own pockets to care for them. The average cost of nursing home care in the U.S. is $74,800 a year, while the median household income is only about $52,000. The math just doesn't work for most families.

We need a balanced approach to the budget, not the Republican proposal that takes away critical benefits for families, seniors, children and people with disabilities while at the same time giving corporations tax subsidies and giving the wealthy huge tax breaks.

Why is Congressman Steve Stivers gambling with the future of Medicaid for Ohio's citizens?

Politicians are currently negotiating a deal in Washington that would cut Medicaid for seniors, people with disabilities, and children while at the same time giving millionaires another tax break. Their schemes could cost Ohio billions of dollars and thousands of jobs!

Medicaid is how most of us pay for long-term care in our homes, assisted living facilities, or in nursing homes. Do we want to go back to the days of the poor farms and old folks homes?

Earlier this month, Congressman Steve Stivers voted for the Republican budget that would slash Medicaid spending by one third and would end Medicare as we know it.

Join Health Care for America Now (HCAN) Ohio Coalition organizations, retirees, and activists on June 30th in Columbus to send a message to Rep. Steve Stivers that we won't stand for him gambling with Ohio's future.

• What: Hands Off Medicaid!! Rally and Press Conference
• When: Thursday June 30, 2011 11:30-12:15
• Where: John W. Bricker Federal Buildling- 200 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio (click here for directions)
• Participating Organizations: Ohio Communities United, Alliance for Retired Americans and ProgressOhio
• RSVP: Christine Kozobarich, Ohio Communities United - christine@ohunited.org

Sign Up To Help Fight To Stop
The Tea Party's Health Care Referendum!

We need your help to keep the Tea Party's Health Care Referendum off of the Ohio Ballot this fall. Could you plan on donating some of your time this summer to review petition signatures to ensure their validity?

The Federal Health Care Law (ACA) is already allowing individuals with preexisting conditions to get health insurance, allowing young adults to get insurance on their parents plan until they are 26 and it is also already assisting seniors with free preventative health visits and financial assistance to those seniors in the donut hole.

The Tea Party has been circulating a petition for some time to put an issue on the ballot blocking the implementation of the Federal Health Care Law here in Ohio. Although their past attempts have failed to gather enough signatures, it appears that they may have enough signatures this year to file.

We need to recruit volunteers to verify the validity of the signatures. We will need volunteers from beginning on July 13th until Mid-August.

All volunteers will receive free training.

Can we count on you?

To volunteer please sign-up here!

Partisan ploy defeated by one vote, Dems stop measure from being placed on ballot
 
COLUMBUS - House Democrats stood solidly together today to defeat Senate Joint Resolution 1, a partisan measure that would have jeopardized health care access for Ohioans by placing an issue on the ballot to repeal portions of federal health care reform law. House Republicans took the measure to the floor today needing a three-fifths majority or one Democratic vote.  Every House Democrat voted no, denying House Republicans the ability to place this measure on the ballot this fall.
 
"This is a cynical, partisan ploy by House Republicans who are more concerned with imposing their extreme ideological agenda than finding pragmatic solutions to make our state stronger," said House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood). "House Democrats have been fighting every day to stand up for middle class Ohioans and I'm pleased we stood together today to defeat this partisan attack on access to affordable health care for Ohioans."
 
Defeating Senate Joint Resolution 1 stops one option for placing this measure before voters.  The Affordable Health Care Act enables individuals with preexisting conditions to get health insurance and it allows young adults to get insurance on their parents plan until they are 26. It also helps seniors with free preventative health visits and financial assistance to those seniors in the donut hole. Repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act could cost Ohio nearly $500 million in federal funds and would throw Ohio's budget out of balance.

"It makes you scratch your head and wonder why anyone would want to go back to a place where those with pre-existing conditions are denied coverage and small businesses lose their tax breaks for providing health care coverage. Those who voted this down are a 'profile in courage,'" said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio.

Help us send a message to the house that we won't be silent as they try to repeal Healthcare Reform. Ohio House leadership is railroading this bill through the legislature without even scheduling opponent testimony, but we won't let them stop the grassroots.

JOIN US ON JUNE 22^nd TO FILL THE ROOM WITH OUR OPPOSITION TO SJR1.

HEALTH & AGING COMMITTEE

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

9:00 AM

Statehouse Room 116

If they repeal Healthcare Reform, millions of Ohioans will lose benefits that they are currently receiving right now:

• Under the Federal Health Care Law, 1.8 million Ohio seniors on Medicare receive free annual check-up visits and other preventative services including mammograms and colonoscopies.

• 109,102 Ohioans received a one-time tax-free $250 rebate to help pay for prescription drugs in the "donut hole" coverage gap in 2010. In 2011 Ohio seniors in the "donut hole" will be eligible for 50 percent discounts on covered brand name prescription drugs. Without the law, the burden of high prescription drug costs would hurt millions of Medicare beneficiaries across the country.

• 35,500 eligible Ohio young adults are able to stay on their parent's health care insurance plans until they are 26 to give them time to look for a job after they finish school.

• Nearly 6.7 million residents of Ohio with private insurance coverage would suddenly find themselves vulnerable again to having lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits placed on how much insurance companies will spend on their health care.

Don't let them sneak Healthcare Repeal through the Statehouse. Please join us at the Committee Hearing on Wednesday June 22^nd at 9:00 and stand up for our health and our rights!

Help us stop the Tea Party's attacks against the Federal Health Care Law.

Sign up now to help us fight in July against Health Care Repeal!

We need your help to keep the Health Care Repeal Issue off of the Ballot this fall. Could you plan on donating some of your time this summer to review petition signatures to ensure their validity?

The Federal Health Care Law (ACA) is already allowing individuals with preexisting conditions to get health insurance, allowing young adults to get insurance on their parents plan until they are 26 and it is also already assisting seniors with free preventative health visits and financial assistance to those seniors in the donut hole.

The Tea Party has been circulating a petition for some time to put an issue on the ballot blocking the implementation of the Federal Health Care Law here in Ohio. Although their past attempts have failed to gather enough signatures, it appears that they may have enough signatures this year to file.

We need to recruit volunteers to verify the validity of the signatures. We will need volunteers from beginning on July 13th until Mid-August.

All volunteers will receive free training.

Can we count on you?

To volunteer please sign-up here!

Testimony is being heard tomorrow (Tuesday, June 14^th) on SJR1, the health care repeal constitutional amendment. The legislation could be voted out of committee and up for a full vote on the Senate floor as soon as Wednesday.

Call your State Senator and tell them to stop playing politics with our health care.

Vote NO on taking away the benefits that the Federal Affordable Care Act offers such as cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, free annual wellness visits and free preventative screenings for illnesses like diabetes, cancer and other serious health conditions that benefit from early detection and treatment.

More Images Here

Columbus, OH - Angry seniors and constituents held a press conference and walk outside the Franklin County Job Center in Congressman Tiberi's district today to challenge his support for the Republican budget - a plan that would cost more than $13,000 a year in out-of-pocket costs for Ohio seniors and leave many seniors and people with disabilities without the Medicaid services they depend on for long term care. The Republicans want to make dramatic and unfair cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other middle-class programs to pay for new tax breaks for millionaires, Big Oil, huge corporations and their rich CEOs.

Recently, Congressmen Tiberi and Stivers voted for the House Republican plan that does away with traditional Medicare and instead provides seniors with vouchers for a fixed-dollar amount to buy their insurance coverage on their own. The average Ohio senior would pay additional out-of-pocket costs of $5,940, twice as much as they pay now.

"Who can afford an individual private plan now with pre-existing conditions? Our children and grandchildren certainly will not have the savings to cover the ever-rising premiums the House budget proposes," said David Friesner, President of the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans.

Congressmen Tiberi and Stivers also joined with other Republicans to slash Medicaid spending by one-third and kick seniors and people with disabilities out of nursing homes, putting a huge burden on their middle-class families and on state programs that depend on federal dollars. In Ohio, Medicaid pays for the care of 63% of nursing home patients. The Republican budget cuts $29.5 billion over 10 years for Ohioans on Medicaid, including seniors and people with disabilities receiving long term care.

Tomorrow in Cincinnati The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit will hear oral arguments in the case of Thomas More Law Center, et al. v. Barack Obama, et al. This case is a challenge to the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act and attempts to strike down the individual responsibility requirement.

This case is part of a broad political attack on the Affordable Care Act. But tens of thousands of individual Ohioans are benefitting RIGHT NOW from the Affordable Care Act and need to protect those benefits.

Attend a Forum tomorrow in Cincinnati to learn more on How Ohioans will be affected if the Affordable Care Act is repealed

Ron Pollack, President/CEO of Families USA will lead a discussion with consumer advocates, faith leaders, activist, and others from the community prior to the hearing and will comment on the hearing and talk about the real effects that invalidating the Affordable Care Act will have on Ohio and American families.

Earlier this week, Speaker John Boehner said Rep. Ryan's plan to privatize Medicare "transforms Medicare into a plan that's very similar to the President's own health care bill." This comparison is deeply flawed. Here's why: 

No Guaranteed Coverage

The Congressional Republican plan privatizes Medicare, ending the program as we know it. Insurance companies would be under no obligation to offer insurance to seniors, so many older Americans could be left with no insurance at all.

The Affordable Care Act preserves Medicare and improves it by making prevention and prescription drugs more affordable, lowering its costs, and improving the quality of care. And health reform extends the life of the Medicare Trust Fund and helps ensure Medicare will continue to provide coverage to seniors in the decades to come.

Get Older, Pay More

The Republican plan repeals Medicare's current policy where seniors are not charged more because of their age. Under the Republican plan, seniors could be forced to pay more for their health care every year, simply because they've grown older.

No Affordable Choices

The Republican Medicare plan makes health coverage less affordable for seniors.  In the first year it goes into effect, a typical 65-year-old who becomes eligible for Medicare would pay an extra $6,400 for health care, more than doubling what he or she would pay if the plan were not adopted. And the Republican plan would replace extra coverage for low-income enrollees with a capped, insufficient medical savings account. 

In sharp contrast, the Affordable Care Act lowers costs for people in Medicare by improving its performance and squeezing out waste, fraud and abuse. The law also provides free preventive care and cheaper prescription drugs for people in Medicare. As a result, we estimate that a typical senior could save $3,500 over the next decade as a result of the Affordable Care Act. 

Less Transparency

The Affordable Care Act will help make the health care system more open, more transparent and easier to understand. 

The Republican plan takes us in the opposite direction. Today, people in Medicare can quickly learn about their benefits. Under the Republican plan, they'd be left in the dark. The Republican plan would force seniors to purchase insurance on their own and critical consumer protections that would make the insurance marketplace easier to understand would be repealed. 

Silver Lining

The facts are clear: the Affordable Care Act and the Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it are very different. It's heartening to see Republicans aspire to produce a plan that resembles the historic reforms President Obama signed into law.  But if they want a proposal that is similar to the Affordable Care Act, they'll have to head back to the drawing board.

Sen. Rob Portman says health care reform has hampered hiring by driving up business costs

Congress passed a health care bill last year with twin goals of insuring more Americans while putting the brakes on runaway medical spending. We'll see if those goals are achieved sometime after 2014 when the main provisions take effect. Until then, all we have are projections.

Sen. Rob Portman, however, focused recently on the here and now.  Even before the big provisions kick in that will expand health coverage to nearly all Americans, Portman says he is hearing from employers that their premiums are rising because of the law, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. And those rising costs are making it harder for them to hire new employees, he says.

"The legislation which Washington passed last year has made it more difficult to hire because it's increased the cost of hiring someone," Portman told reporters on May 3, when he unveiled a "Jobs Plan" that included a proposed rollback of the health law.

... After looking at considerable amounts of data and studies, talking with industry and association experts and phoning people who run small companies, we found that Portman's statement had some elements of truth. But there were too many critical facts pointing the other direction, too many misleading or confused assumptions about the cause of double-digit premium hikes -- and too few actual lost jobs or slowdowns attributable to health reform -- for the Truth-O-Meter to point in any other direction than Barely True.

This isn't the only downside for Sen. Portman this week. Ohio Retirees voiced their displeasure with Senator Portman over his vote to end Medicare as we know it.

Orszag: Ryan Budget Would Increase Total Health Care Spending

In a new Bloomberg column, former OMB Director Peter Orszag explains how House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's plan to privatize Medicare would increase total health care spending.

To some extent, the Ryan plan would shift health care costs from Medicare to the program's beneficiaries.  But as Orszag's column emphasizes, that's only part of the story.  The much bigger news is that Ryan's plan would increase total health spending for the elderly -- the beneficiaries' share plus the government's share -- by upwards of 40 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

There are two reasons why.  First, private insurance plans have much higher administrative costs than Medicare.  Second, private plans have less bargaining power with health care providers and are unable to negotiate payment rates that are as low as Medicare's.

"We have a plan, frankly, that we believe in," Boehner said. "Democrats have no plan... [and] it's about time that they're honest with the American people."

Hey Mr. Speaker, is telling them they're going to have to pay twice as much for their health care to support your tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires honest enough for you?

In a strategic move by Democrats, the Senate held a vote yesterday on the controversial Paul Ryan budget proposal, which would restructure Medicare. All but 5 Republicans voted for it--votes that are sure to make their way into campaign commercials in the next election cycle.

Do you think Republicans can win in 2012 with their Plan To End Medicare As We Know It as part of their platform?

The HIV/AIDS community joined friends, allies, providers, and stakeholders at the HIV/AIDS Unity Day Press Conference at the Ohio Statehouse to show support for the Ohio HIV Drug Assistance Program (OHDAP) and urge Ohio legislators to fund the program at a sufficient level to serve all Ohioans in need of these services.
 
"The Ohio HIV Drug Assistance Program (Ryan White Program) allows Ohioans with HIV to keep off Medicaid, keep working and stay healthy and productive. Without this program, thousands of Ohioans would have to rely on Medicaid and costs to the tax payers would increase dramatically," explained Representative David Burke (R-83).
 
The current state budget proposals from both Governor Kasich and Ohio House of Representatives do not reflect the true funding amount needed to meet the true needs of people with HIV in Ohio. Governor Kasich proposed "level funding" for HIV/AIDS services in the amount of $5.5 million for both FY 2012 and 2013. The Ohio House of Representatives budget calls for a slight increase of an additional $200,000 a year for the next two fiscal years. However, even with this funding increase, the Ohio AIDS Drug Assistance Program waiting list in Ohio will continue to grow.

Legislation would reduce the spread of disease

COLUMBUS - State Representatives Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Mike Foley (D-Cleveland) today testifying before an Ohio House committee on the need for a statewide syringe exchange program to help stop the spread of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.

"The research and data is clear: syringe exchanges are an effective tool in reducing the incidence of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases," Rep. Foley told members of the Ohio House Health and Aging Committee.  "This legislation provides a simple, voluntary process local communities can take to get these vital programs up and running in their cities."

House Bill 182 makes it easier for communities to create a syringe exchange program by giving the authority to the local health department. Under current Ohio law, the local health department must first declare a public health emergency and enlist the support of the Mayor, City Council and the Police Department.

Can a mother's silence be bought? We don't think so, but apparently most members of the House of Representatives disagree.

In April, a majority in the House voted to cut Medicare for future generations. They assumed that parents and grandparents are selfish and don't care if their children and grandchildren have decent health coverage when they're older.  But we know that's not true. 

This Mother's Day, let's send the message that mothers and grandmothers won't be pitted against their children and grandchildren.

After standing up to Glenn Beck's  scapegoating, Jewish Funds for Justice is now focused  on protecting a solution that has been working since 1965 - Medicare. Since its inception, Medicare has helped cut poverty among seniors by almost two-thirds.  Now its future is under threat.

The 2012 House budget divides families - people over 55 get Medicare while people under 55 will get a privatized voucher program that will double the amount tomorrow's seniors have to pay in insurance costs.  This will send many of tomorrow's seniors back into poverty.   While Medicare cuts were temporarily taken off the table this week, that's merely a reprieve in the plan to destroy a bedrock entitlement program that's worked for almost half a century. And even now members of Congress are looking for back door ways of enacting Medicare cuts.

Stand up to this attempt to divide families  When you celebrate Mother's Day this weekend, talk with your family about the cuts that could take Medicare away from the next generation. 

Post a picture on this Facebook page of mothers and grandmothers in support of Medicare for their kids and grandkids, and then send the picture to your Congressional representatives.

Wishing you a happy and healthy Mother's Day!

Not content with their legacy of trying to eliminate preventive health care services for women and strip rights from workers, on Friday House Republicans used their majority to pass a budget that would privatize Medicare. Why effectively raise taxes on seniors by $6,000? To finance more tax cuts for millionaires.

Their reckless plan would double out-of-pocket health care expenses the first year it kicks in. It would force seniors in Ohio, and across the country, to fend for themselves in the private health insurance market after paying into Medicare their entire working lives.

When President Obama rejected their scheme in his speech at George Washington University last week, we saw our nation's Commander in Chief standing strong for our Democratic values.

Read my open letter to President Obama and add your name telling him to stop the GOP's plan to abolish Medicare.

Republicans have been planning to eliminate Medicare for decades, and they aren't going to give up easily. Right now it's crucial President Obama knows that in this fight, we have his back.

Add your name to my open letter today.

Thank you for always standing up for what's right,

-Sherrod

154 Lawmakers From 26 States: Framers of Constitution Would Support Affordable Care Act

COLUMBUS,OH -- Six Progressive Ohio Legislators have joined over 150 lawmakers from 26 states, organized by the Progressive States Network, to deliver a powerful message to the Federal Appellate Court currently considering the Tea Party-fueled challenge to the health care law: that the framers of the U.S. Constitution, including George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, would have supported the constitutionality of the law.  

In a "Friend of the Court" brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Six Ohio Legislators joined 148 state legislators from across the nation in standing against the right-wing Attorney Generals and Governors including Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, who have spent the past year playing politics with the health security of Ohio families by pressing forward with a partisan lawsuit at odds with the framers' vision of the Constitution. 

Ohio Legislators signing onto the "Friend of the Court" Brief include Senators Michael J. Skindell (D-Cleveland) and Charleta Tavares (D-Columbus), as well as Representatives Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood), Mike Foley (D-Cleveland), Ted Celeste (D-Grandview), and Bob Hagan (D-Youngstown). 

"There is no question that the framers of the Constitution would have viewed the health law as constitutional, and I have confidence that the courts will ultimately agree with their vision," said Representative Nickie Antonio. "So many Ohio families have benefitted from the provisions of the health law that have already taken effect, and so many more stand to benefit from the choice and competition promised by the marketplaces set to go into effect in 2014. Now is not the time to go backward as those behind this lawsuit desire -- it is time to strengthen the law in a way that works for Ohio families."  

The text of the brief describes the January decision by U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruling the law unconstitutional as "based on a fundamentally flawed vision of the constitutional role of our federal government and its partnership with the States--a vision that contradicts the original meaning of our Founding charter."  

Read the full brief here.

Medicare, Medicaid Cuts Would Hurt Low-Income Seniors

The following statement was issued today by David Friesner, President of the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans:

"Congressman Paul Ryan's budget proposal takes better care of CEOs in corporate towers than it does seniors in nursing homes or needing less expensive home and community based care services.

"His plan tries to hide its cold-hearted details behind seemingly innocuous buzzwords like 'vouchers' and 'block grants.'  But the reality is that 'voucher' is Ryan-speak for turning Medicare over to the big insurance companies, and 'block grant' is Ryan-speak for saying that Medicaid should be run by Republican governors across the country.

"People of all ages have seen what happens when the insurance companies call the shots - they choose their profits over our health, the corporate interest over the public interest.  Moreover, we have seen what has been happening in state capitals over the past few months.

"Why would anyone want to put affordable access to long-term care into the hands of a governor compromised by private business interests and the General Assembly that has continued to follow the dictates of private for profit nursing home operators and their lobbyists?

"In the name of deficit reduction, Paul Ryan goes way too far.  What he wants is to fundamentally change our nation's values - give tax cuts to the wealthy, but yet make it harder for seniors and low-income children to see a doctor or remain in the community.
 
"The Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, with its 230,000 members organized in 90 local chapters, will spend the month of April organizing grassroots actions around the state to try to stop this cold-hearted plan.  We have to tell Americans - particularly seniors - about just how dangerous Paul Ryan's budget proposal is.

"To keep America as a nation where we still lend a helping hand to the young and the old, and to the sick and the poor, we must stop these cuts to Medicare and Medicaid."

The Affordable Care Act Will Provide Insurance Security For Women Via Health Exchanges. According to Families USA: "Less than half of women have the option of obtaining health insurance through a job. By creating a health insurance exchange, health reform will guarantee that you will always have choices of quality, affordable health insurance if you lose your job, switch jobs, move or get sick." [Families USA, accessed 10/18/10]

The Affordable Care Act Ends Insurance Practices That Discriminate Against Women. From AARP: "Beginning in 2014, the law ends the common practice of 'gender rating,' so insurers will no longer be able to charge women more than they do men for the same type of coverage. This provision applies to people with individual coverage and to small businesses that have up to 100 employees. Starting in 2014, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage because of a pre-existing condition such as breast or cervical cancer, pregnancy, or cesarean section." [AARP.org, June 2010]

The Affordable Care Act Gives Women The Freedom to Choose Their Own Doctor. From HealthCare.gov: "The Affordable Care Act helps preserve your choice of doctors by guaranteeing that you can choose the primary care doctor or pediatrician you want from your health plan's provider network and that you can see an OB-GYN doctor without needing a referral from another doctor." [HealthCare.gov, 9/23/10]

The Affordable Care Act Currently Bans Insurers From Denying Coverage To Children With Pre-Existing Conditions And Will Expand That Coverage To Everyone In 2014. According to the Washington Post: "[I]n 2014 ... the law will, for the first time, forbid insurers to charge sick patients more or reject sick applicants. Last year, two smaller changes took effect: a rule that insurers cannot reject sick children, and temporary subsidies until 2014 for a federal high-risk pool and new state ones." [Washington Post, 1/18/11]

• 129 Million Americans And Up To 17 Million Children Have Pre-Existing Conditions. From CNN: "[HHS Secretary] Sebelius said 129 million people -- nearly half of all Americans under the age of 65 -- have some form of pre-existing condition that could make them ineligible for coverage should they lose or change jobs, get divorced or face other changes that force them to seek new insurance. That number includes 50 million people with more severe conditions that would almost certainly preclude or significantly increase the cost of individual coverage, Sebelius said. ... And the agency said between 4 million and 17 million children have a pre-existing condition, and that 2 million of those are uninsured." [CNN, 1/18/11]

The Affordable Care Act Ends Lifetime Limits On Health Care. According to NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation, under the Affordable Care Act insurance companies "no longer are permitted to impose lifetime limits on plans. The law's ban on lifetime limits will ... particularly benefit women with chronic conditions or serious illnesses." [NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation, 1/1/11, footnote removed for clarity]

The Affordable Care Act Restricts Annual Limits. According to the National Women's Law Center: "Similarly, health plans face new restrictions on annual limits (the amount of money they will pay for benefits during one year). These limits cannot be lower than $750,000/year starting on September 23rd, with minimum limits increased annually until they are completely prohibited by 2014.  This protection applies to most health plans." [National Women's Law Center, 9/23/10, underline original]

Preventive And Wellness Care

The Affordable Care Act Ends Co-Pays And Deductibles For Preventive Screenings Like Mammograms And Well-Child Visits. From the National Partnership for Women and Families: "The ACA guarantees women access to preventative services such as mammograms and cervical cancer screenings, both in private insurance and Medicare with no deductibles or copays. ... Private plans also must cover screenings and vaccinations critical to children's health without out-of-pocket costs." [National Partnership for Women and Families, January 2011]

Increased Screenings Decrease Deaths From Breast And Cervical Cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Deaths from breast and cervical cancers could be avoided if cancer screening rates increased among women at risk." [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed 3/18/11]

• The Uninsured Disproportionately Die From Breast And Cervical Cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Deaths from these diseases occur disproportionately among women who are uninsured or underinsured. Mammography and Pap tests are underused by women who have no source or no regular source of health care, women without health insurance, and women who immigrated to the United States within the past 10 years." [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed 3/18/11]

Health Care Reform Provides Free Screening For Sexually Transmitted Infections As Well As Counseling To Prevent Risky Sexual Behavior. The new health care reform law provides screening for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. In addition, patients are eligible for "behavioral counseling to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for all sexually active adolescents and for adults at increased risk for STIs." [U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, August 2010]

The Affordable Care Act Ensures That New Insurance Plans Cover Maternity And Newborn Care. From NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation: "The Affordable Care Act specifically identifies 'maternity and newborn care' as essential health benefits that must be offered by all new insurance plans sold to individuals and small businesses, and by plans participating in state health-insurance exchanges. As an essential health benefit, maternity care must be covered with low cost-sharing for the consumer. While prenatal and newborn care are some of the most common types of medical services that women receive, many women have difficulty finding an insurance plan that covers maternity care." [NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation, 1/1/11, footnotes removed for clarity]

The Affordable Care Act Allows Small Businesses To Band Together To Purchase Health Insurance In Exchanges. According to the Center for American Progress: "Repeal would mean that small businesses ... would lose the ability to purchase health insurance through the reform law's 'insurance exchange' that will allow them to choose among a variety of plans that provide better coverage at lower costs than those in the current small group market." [Center for American Progress, 7/23/10]

• Health Insurance Exchanges Help Small Businesses Provide Coverage. From the Small Business Majority: "A health insurance exchange will create a pool of small businesses with up to 100 employees and the self-employed to leverage purchasing power. An exchange will enable insurers to offer lower premiums as a result of lower administrative costs and spreading risk across a larger population. Insurers will have to offer standardized benefits packages within the exchange, so competition will be based on price and quality, not benefit design. The larger pool will also dampen the annual volatility of premiums. Combined with insurance reform, the exchange will offer small business owners and the self-employed access to stable, affordable coverage year after year." [Small Business Majority, 8/12/10]

The Affordable Care Act Provides Tax Credits For Small Employers To Use To Purchase Health Insurance For Workers. According to the Small Business Majority: "In the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Congress and the President recognized that small businesses, particularly those with 10 or fewer workers, struggle to provide health insurance for their workers, and that some cannot afford to provide it at all. Legislators therefore included many provisions in the law to help small employers and their workers obtain high-quality, affordable coverage. One of these important provisions is a program to provide tax credits that small employers can use toward the purchase of health insurance for their workers." [Small Business Majority, July 2010]

Tax Credits Work On A Sliding Scale Up To 50 Percent Of Employer's Cost In 2014. According to the Small Business Majority: "Small employers (those with up to 25 workers) who offer coverage can receive a tax credit for up to 35 percent (or 25 percent for nonprofits) of the average cost of a small group plan in their state, starting in the 2010 tax year. To qualify for tax credits, businesses must cover at least 50 percent of each employee's health insurance premiums. Small employers are eligible for the tax credit even if they already receive assistance from their state to help them buy coverage for their workers. In 2014, once the state health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals are up and running, small employers will be eligible for tax credits of up to 50 percent (or 35 percent for nonprofits) of the costs of covering their workers through the exchanges." [Small Business Majority, July 2010]

More Than 4 Million Small Businesses Are Eligible To Receive Tax Credits. According to the Small Business Majority: "More than 4 million (4,015,300) small businesses will be eligible to receive a tax credit for the purchase of employee health insurance in 2010. That's 83.7 percent of all small businesses in the country." [Small Business Majority, July 2010, footnote removed for clarity]

• Over 1 Million Small Businesses Will Be Eligible To Receive The Maximum Tax Credit. According to the Small Business Majority: "Approximately 1,198,700 American small businesses will be eligible to receive the maximum tax credit in 2010." [Small Business Majority, July 2010]

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act being signed into law, ending some of the worst insurance company abuses and putting consumers, not insurance companies, in control of their health care. Many of the new consumer protections provided by the Patient's Bill of Rights in the new law have already gone into effect, including protecting people with pre-existing conditions and chronic diseases from being at the mercy of insurance companies. The law also prevents companies from dropping coverage when people get sick and from limiting the care they receive. Furthermore, it makes sure premium dollars go toward care, not insurance company profits, and cracks down on excessive premium rate hikes.    

Watch the video to see other benefits Americans have received as a result of the health care law:

$196.3 Billion In Wasteful Spending Will Be Cut By 2019. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the Affordable Care Act will cut $196.3 billion in wasteful government spending over the next ten years. [Congressional Budget Office, 3/19/10]

The Affordable Care Act Cracks Down On Waste, Fraud, And Abuse. The Affordable Care Act authorized the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to establish new rules to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse. The government estimates that "[i]mproper payments cost federal health programs about $55 billion a year." [The Hill, 9/20/10]

The Affordable Care Act Provides Tools To Crack Down On Health Care Fraud. From the Seattle Times: "Investigators have new tools this year to help crack down on health care fraud, with the Justice Department and the Health and Human Services Department working cooperatively to police companies. The newly enacted Affordable Care Act is designed to lengthen prison sentences in criminal cases and the new law provides an additional $300 million over the next 10 years for stronger enforcement. It also gives the government new authority to step up oversight of companies participating in Medicare and Medicaid." [Seattle Times, 5/13/10]

The Health Care Law Combats Fraud From Several Angles. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

Specificially, the proposed rule will:

• Establish the requirements for suspending payments to providers and suppliers based on credible allegations of fraud in Medicare and Medicaid;
• Establish the authority for imposing a temporary moratorium on Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP enrollment on providers and suppliers when necessary to help prevent or fight fraud, waste, and abuse without impeding beneficiaries' access to care.
• Strengthen and build on current provider enrollment and screening procedures to more accurately assure that fraudulent providers are not gaming the system and that only qualified health care providers and suppliers are allowed to enroll in and bill Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP;
• Outline requirements for states to terminate providers from Medicaid and CHIP when they have been terminated by Medicare or by another state Medicaid program or CHIP;
• Solicit input on how to best structure and develop provider compliance programs, now required under the Affordable Care Act, that will ensure providers are aware of and comply with CMS program requirements.

[U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 9/20/10]

Related: Health Care Events Across Ohio This Week

The Affordable Care Act Provides Expanded Medicaid Services And Options That Can Help Seniors With Home Care. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Affordable Care Act "provide[s] states with new options for offering home and community-based services through a Medicaid state plan." It also "establish[es] the Community First Choice Option in Medicaid to provide community-based attendant supports and services to individuals with disabilities who require an institutional level of care" and "provide[s] states with an enhanced federal matching rate" to help with the costs of the program. [Kaiser Family Foundation, Summary of the Health Reform Law]

The Affordable Care Act Helps Eliminate Abuse At Long-Term Care Facilities. According to Families USA: "Through the Elder Justice Act provisions of the Affordable Care Act, for the first time, there will now be a dedicated source of federal funding for Adult Protective Services offices - state agencies that provide services to abused, neglected, or exploited seniors and people with disabilities." In addition, the law expands a program that checks applicants who would work directly with those in long-term care against abuse and neglect registries. According to Families USA, "the pilot program prevented more than 9,500 people with histories of abuse or violent criminal records from ever working with seniors or people with disabilities. This successful program will now be conducted in every state, ensuring that people with a history of neglect or violence are not put in a position to take advantage of, or harm, our seniors and people with disabilities." [Families USA, October 2010]

The Affordable Care Act Prohibits Insurance Companies From Dropping Coverage For 'Unintentional Mistakes' On Applications. From HealthCare.gov: "Right now, insurance companies are able to retroactively cancel your policy when you become sick, if you or your employer made an unintentional mistake on your paperwork...Under the regulations, insurers and plans will be prohibited from rescinding coverage - for individuals or groups of people - except in cases involving fraud or an intentional misrepresentation of material facts. Insurers and plans seeking to rescind coverage must provide at least 30 days advance notice to give people time to appeal. There are no exceptions to this policy." [HealthCare.gov, 7/1/10]

• Over 10,000 People Each Year Have Their Coverage Dropped "Because They Get Sick And Made An Unintentional Mistake On Their Application." From HealthCare.gov: "Approximately 10,700 people whose coverage is dropped each year because they get sick and made an unintentional mistake on their application will not have their coverage rescinded." [HealthCare.gov, 12/9/10]

The Affordable Care Act Eliminates Lifetime Price Caps On Insurance Coverage. According to AARP: "Currently, more than 100 million Americans have insurance that stops when medical claims exceed their policy's lifetime limit. ... The law phases out these annual limits over a period of three years: in the first year, insurers must cover medical expenses up to at least $750,000. That coverage rises to $1.45 million after Sept. 23, 2011 and increases to $2 million after Sept. 23, 2012. Limits will be completely banned starting Jan. 1, 2014." [AARP.org, 8/23/10]

Related: Health Care Events Across Ohio This Week

Medicare Recipients And Seniors With Private Health Insurance Are Eligible For Free Preventive Care Services. The Affordable Care Act automatically extends free preventive care for those enrolled in Medicare. Additionally, CBS News reports that the law "[r]equires new private plans to cover preventive services with no co-payments and with preventive services being exempt from deductibles." By 2018, this requirement applies to all private health insurance plans. [CBS News, 3/21/10]

The Affordable Care Act Provides Disease Prevention And Screening For:

• Cancer: Breast, Cervical and Colorectal Cancer
• Diet: Cholesterol, Obesity and Blood Pressure
• Bones & General Wellness: Osteoporosis and aortic aneurysm

[U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, August 2010]

Medicare Recipients Are Eligible For Free Annual Wellness Visit. According to AARP: Seniors "will no longer have to pay for Medicare-approved preventive care services. ... The new preventive benefits start in 2011 and include ... [a] free annual wellness visit." [AARP.org, November 2010]

More Than 150,000 Medicare Beneficiaries Have Received A Free Annual Wellness Visit So Far In 2011. From a March 16, 2011, Health and Human Services news release: "Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a new report showing that in less than two months, more than 150,000 seniors and others with Medicare have received an annual wellness visit. This is a preventive benefit now covered by Medicare free of charge when obtained by a participating health care professional, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, along with many other recommended preventive services. ... Many more people with Medicare are expected to receive annual wellness visits and other recommended preventive services thanks to the Affordable Care Act." [HHS.gov, 3/16/11]

Related: Health Care Events Across Ohio This Week

Closing The Medicare Prescription Drug "Donut Hole"

The "Donut Hole" Is The Gap In Drug Coverage When Annual Costs Are Between $2,830 And $6,440. CNNMoney.com reported: "What's the donut hole? In addition to a $310 deductible, Medicare beneficiaries pay 25% of their drug costs until the total reaches $2,830 for the year. Then, they fall into a coverage gap. At that point, enrollees must pay all costs out of pocket until their annual expenses exceed $6,440. After that, seniors pay 5% of drug costs for the rest of the year." [CNNMoney.com, 6/7/10, emphasis added]

3 Million Seniors Enrolled In Medicare Received $250 Rebate Check To Address Costs Of The "Donut Hole" From 2010. From The Hill: "Three million seniors in the so-called 'doughnut hole' have already received discounted prescription drugs through a highly touted provision of the healthcare reform law, President Obama's health department announced Friday morning. According to the Friday morning announcement, three million Medicare beneficiaries in 2010 received a one-time, tax-free $250 rebate check for costs in the doughnut hole." [The Hill, 1/21/11]

The Law Eventually Phases Out The Coverage Gap, And In 2011, Seniors Who Reach It Receive A 50 Percent Discount On Brand Name Prescription Drugs. From the Huffington Post: "The rebate checks come as the first step in a larger effort to close the gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage. Starting in January, beneficiaries will begin receiving a 50-percent discount on brand name drugs, and eventually the gap in coverage will be closed completely." [Huffington Post, 8/31/10]

• Manufacturers That Produce The Majority Of Brand Names Drugs Used By Medicare Patients Participate In The Discount Program. According to Medicare.gov, "If a drug company has signed an agreement to participate in the Discount Program, all of the covered Part D brand-name drugs they make are covered during the coverage gap for that calendar year. ... In 2011, manufacturers that produce over 99% of the brand-name drugs used by people with Medicare are participating in this program." [Medicare.gov, November 2010]

• Seniors In The Donut Hole Get Additional Discounts On Generic Drugs. According to HealthCare.gov: Seniors "will also get a 7% discount on generic drugs while in the Donut Hole" and "can expect additional savings on [their] covered brand-name and generic drugs while in the coverage gap over the next 10 years until the gap is closed in 2020." [HealthCare.gov, 12/27/10]

Related: Health Care Events Across Ohio This Week

One year into the health care law, you, your family, and your small business may be eligible for important new benefits that will ensure you get the care you need and deserve at a lower cost.

From preventive care with no out-of-pocket costs to prescription drug discounts for Seniors, from young adults having the chance to stay on their parents' insurance to tax credits for small businesses, the Affordable Care Act is providing new health care rights, protections and choices.

Learn how the Affordable Care Act has improved care for:

Small Businesses
Learn about tax credits to help cover the costs of covering your employees.

Seniors
Read about new annual wellness exams and prescription drug discounts.

All Americans
Read the Patient's Bill of Rights.

Women
Learn about how the Affordable Care Act benefits women.

Young Adults
You can now stay insured under your parent's plan until age 26.

March 23rd is the One Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (Federal Health Care Law).

ProgressOhio, activists, and 5th CD constituents will deliver a special package to Congressman Bob Latta's office along with a statement of what the ACA is doing to help the members in his district and what would be lost if the ACA is repealed or defunded. The Republican Health Care Plan package will contain items like a lucky shamrock, band-aids, an apple and dice.

Have your voice heard and celebrate the 1st anniversary of the Federal Health Care law by delivering a message to your congressman that we need to go forward with implementation of the law, not backwards.

WHO: ProgressOhio, activists, and 5th CD Constituents

WHAT: ProgressOhio activists and constituents deliver a "Republican Health Care Plan" package to the representative's district office along with a message statement of the benefits of what the ACA offers the constituents of the 5th Congressional District.

WHERE: Representative Bob Latta's (R-CD 5) District Office

Representative Bob Latta's Bowling Green Office (R-CD5)
1045 N. Main Street, Suite 6
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402-1361

WHEN: Wednesday, March 23rd, 1:15 PM

We will meet outside the office a few minutes before 1:15 PM and walk into the office together. If you are interested in attending please e-mail Denise Gastesi at Denise@progressohio.org.

March 23rd is the One Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (Federal Health Care Law).

ProgressOhio, activists, and 16th CD constituents will deliver a special package to Congressman Jim Renacci's office along with a statement of what the ACA is doing to help the members in his district and what would be lost if the ACA is repealed or defunded. The Republican Health Care Plan package will contain items like a lucky shamrock, band-aids, an apple and dice.

Have your voice heard and celebrate the 1st anniversary of the Federal Health Care law by delivering a message to your congressman that we need to go forward with implementation of the law, not backwards.

WHO: ProgressOhio, activists, and 16th CD Constituents

WHAT: ProgressOhio activists and constituents deliver a "Republican Health Care Plan" package to the representative's district office along with a message statement of the benefits of what the ACA offers the constituents of the 16th Congressional District.

WHERE: Representative Jim Renacci's (R-CD 16) District Office

4150 Belden Village Street, Suite 408

Canton, OH 44718

WHEN: Wednesday, March 23rd, 11:00 AM

We will meet outside the office a few minutes before 11:00 AM and walk into the office together. If you are interested in attending please e-mail Denise Gastesi at Denise@progressohio.org.

March 23rd is the One Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (Federal Health Care Law).

ProgressOhio, activists, and 15th CD constituents will deliver a special package to Congressman Steve Stiver's office along with a statement of what the ACA is doing to help the members in his district and what would be lost if the ACA is repealed or defunded. The Republican Health Care Plan package will contain items like a lucky shamrock, band-aids, an apple and dice.

Have your voice heard and celebrate the 1st anniversary of the Federal Health Care law by delivering a message to your congressman that we need to go forward with implementation of the law, not backwards.

WHO: ProgressOhio, activists, and 15th CD Constituents

WHAT: ProgressOhio activists and constituents deliver a "Republican Health Care Plan" package to the representative's district office along with a message statement of the benefits of what the ACA offers the constituents of the 15th Congressional District.

WHERE: Representative Steve Stiver's District Office (R-CD 15)

1299 Olentangy River Rd., Suite 200

Columbus, OH 43212

WHEN: Wednesday, March 23rd, 11:00 AM

We will meet outside the office a few minutes before 11:00 AM and walk into the office together. If you are interested in attending please e-mail Denise Gastesi at Denise@progressohio.org.

March 23rd is the One Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (Federal Health Care Law).

ProgressOhio, activists, and 18th CD constituents will deliver a special package to Congressman Bob Gibb's office along with a statement of what the ACA is doing to help the members in his district and what would be lost if the ACA is repealed or defunded. The Republican Health Care Plan package will contain items like a lucky shamrock, band-aids, an apple and dice. 
Have your voice heard and celebrate the 1st anniversary of the Federal Health Care law by delivering a message to your congressman that we need to go forward with implementation of the law, not backwards.

WHO: ProgressOhio, activists, and 18th CD Constituents

WHAT: ProgressOhio activists and constituents deliver a "Republican Health Care Plan" package to the representative's district office delivering our message including the benefits of the  Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the 18th Congressional District.

WHERE: Representative Bob Gibbs District Office (R-CD 18)

1166 Military Road, Suite B3

Zanesville, OH 43701

WHEN: Wednesday, March 23rd, 2:30 PM

We will meet outside the office a few minutes before 2:30 and walk into the office together. If you are interested in attending please e-mail Denise Gastesi at Denise@progressohio.org.

As the Obama Administration marks the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, the White House today issued a report highlighting the benefits of health reform for Ohio residents. Signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act has given Ohio residents more freedom and control over their health care choices.

The Affordable Care Act is:
 
Reducing costs for seniors and strengthening Medicare.

More than 146,583 Ohio residents who hit the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap known as the "donut hole" received $250 tax-free rebates, and will receive a 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole this year.  By 2020, the law will close the donut hole completely. And nearly all 44 million beneficiaries who have Medicare, including 1.7 million in Ohio, can now receive free preventive services - like mammograms and colonoscopies - as well as a free annual wellness visit from their doctor.

Offering new coverage options.

Insurance companies are now required to allow parents to keep their children up to age 26 without job-based coverage on their insurance plans. An estimated 40,600 young adults in Ohio could gain insurance coverage as a result of the law.  Additionally, most insurance companies are now banned from denying coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition.  An estimated 643,000 kids with a pre-existing condition in Ohio will be protected because of this provision.

Lowering costs for small businesses.

The law provides $40 billion of tax credits to up to 4 million small businesses, including up to 147,029 in Ohio to help offset the costs of purchasing coverage for their employees and make premiums more affordable.

Improving the quality of coverage.

All Americans with insurance are now free from worrying about losing their insurance due to a mistake on an application, or having it capped unexpectedly if someone is in an accident or becomes sick. The law bans insurance companies from imposing lifetime dollar limits on health benefits - freeing cancer patients and individuals suffering from other chronic diseases from having to worry about going without treatment because of their lifetime limits.  The law also restricts the use of annual limits and bans them completely in 2014.  This will protect 6.9 million million Ohio residents with private insurance coverage from these limits.

Read The Full Report For Ohio Here.

Health Care for America Now (HCAN), the nationwide coalition that led the successful fight for health reform, will host more than 75 educational events and activities in 27 states next week to promote the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on its first anniversary and to rally against Republican efforts to undermine the law. By the end of the week, thousands of people will have participated in HCAN gatherings nationwide, including town-hall meetings, news conferences and educational forums.

The HCAN program is part of a coordinated effort by more than a dozen advocacy groups producing nearly 200 events in 35 states. Many of the HCAN events focus on Republicans who have devoted themselves to defunding and repealing the ACA.

"One year later, Republicans still have no health care plan other than to take away prescription drug discounts for seniors, no-cost preventive care for everyone, small-business tax credits and consumer protections like the ban on denying care or charging more because of pre-existing medical conditions," said HCAN Executive Director Ethan Rome. "The Affordable Care Act eliminates the worst health insurance company abuses and frees families, seniors and small businesses from crushing health care costs and devastating denials of care. The GOP's only health care plan is to put the health insurance companies back in charge so they can deny our care and jack up our rates. We must move forward and stop re-fighting the battles of the past."

The events and actions feature seniors, children, small businesses, faith communities, and young people across the country coming together to explain how they are benefiting from the law and to highlight what is at stake as opponents of reform work overtime to take away ACA cost savings and consumer protections. The events will demonstrate that the nation must move forward and protect our health care from those who would take it away to help large corporations that put profits ahead of people.

Ohio Events:

It was one year ago today that Parkinson's stricken Dr. Robert Letcher sat down with a sign saying thank you in front of angry Tea party supporters protesting the coming passage of the Affordable Health Care Act. 

A year later, "Dr. Bob" is still advocating for civil debate around the political issues of the day.

In a scene reminiscent of non-violent civil rights confrontations from the 1960s, Ohio Tea Partiers quickly turned ugly when facing off with health care advocates in front of Ohio Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy's office Tuesday March 17, 2010.

In shocking video taken by a Columbus Dispatch reporter Doral Chenowith, Tea Party protestors mock a seated counter-protestor with a sign indicating he has Parkinson's disease. They then proceed to hurl wadded up bills at him shouting, "I'll decide when to give you money!" 

Watch It:

Governor John Kasich today released what he calls "The Jobs Budget," but for Ohio's elderly and disabled it's the "Care Cutting" Budget.  "Make no mistake, the Governor's budget threatens the quality of care for the most vulnerable among us," said Peter Van Runkle, Executive Director of the Ohio Health Care Association, the state's largest organization representing long-term care providers. "We are talking about those who can no longer take care of themselves or be taken care of by family," Van Runkle continued.

Skilled Nursing care is highly labor intensive. "Nearly 70% of the costs go to personnel costs - nurses, aides, physicians, physical therapists- all of whom are critical to ensuring that our most vulnerable receive the care and dignity they deserve," Van Runkle explained.   The Governor's budget cuts reimbursement rates a staggering $380 million over the next two years. This is on top of a $190 million tax increase imposes in the last budget. Over the last two budgets skilled nursing facilities have incurred over a 10% cut in funding. That tax increase will stay in place under the Governor's budget.  Skilled nursing facility reimbursement rates have been essentially flat, except for the tax increases, since 2005.  

This budget proposal kills jobs, jeopardizes care and threatens the very existence of skilled nursing facilities across Ohio. "The Governor's cuts will result in closed facilities and will place tremendous hardship on families who will be forced to travel long distances to visit loved ones. Connection to family is a critical aspect of quality care that can't be measured in dollars and cents. It's difficult to understand how this will help Ohio move forward," Van Runkle continued.

The Ohio Healthcare Association has long supported expanded home and community-based care for "mom and dad," as the Governor has called for.  However, those services cannot take the place of a more acute, sicker population that still needs the level of care of a skilled nursing facility.  

"We hope that members of the Legislature will understand the importance of skilled nursing facilities to their constituents. It is up to them to protect the quality care and jobs provided by skilled nursing facilities in their districts to ensure that adequate funding is provided to protect quality care," Van Runkle concluded.  

"The Governor claimed in his press conference that the budget was not based on arbitrary cuts, and that all the proposals had a policy basis," said Van Runkle  "I don't know what the policy basis is for paying skilled nursing facilities at the lowest 25% of 2003 costs, to the detriment of jobs and patients.  That sounds like just a plain cut to me, and it will hurt people."

ProgressOhio's Executive Director Brian Rothenberg appeared on WCMH 4's The Spectrum with Colleen Marshall and Terry Casey yesterday.

Rothenberg discussed the GOP's extreme right-wing agenda including SB 5, PO's Petition to AG DeWine to drop attacks on health care reform and Gov. Kasich's now infamous "idiot" remark.

From The Spectrum:

We take a look at the heated collective bargaining hearings and talk to one of the state's top labor leaders. We also talk with the Franklin Co. auditor as properties come up for reappraisal.

Watch It:

WASHINGTON, D.C.--On the same day that a new report revealed that Ohioans spent more than $759 million last year on out-of-pocket health care costs, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced his support for a bipartisan bill that would allow for the safe importation of prescription drugs--from nations with strict drug safety standards--to ensure that Ohioans have access to affordable medications.

"The United States is the world's largest market for prescription drugs, but we pay the world's highest prices for medications," Brown said. "Seniors in Ohio and elsewhere are taking bus trips into countries like Canada to gain access to lower-priced prescription medications. Americans are also using the internet to import drugs from across the world--which is potentially unsafe. Allowing the safe importation of prescription drugs from countries like Canada or Australia will help Ohioans afford the medications they need to stay healthy while ensuring that these drugs are safe, effective, and legitimate."

Today, Families USA released a report showing that Ohio families spent more than $857 million last year on out-of-pocket heath care costs. The report shows that by 2014, more than 500,000 Ohioans who face catastrophic out-of-pocket health care costs will be protected by the health care reform law. The law contains a new provision that caps spending on out-of-pocket costs for consumers, which is especially critical for Ohioans facing cancer, another serious disease diagnosis, or are involved in a accident. The report also showed that the majority of these families--approximately two-thirds--are in working-class families.

"Ohio consumers, many of whom had health insurance, still faced huge out-of-pocket costs last year--to the tune of $759 million," Brown said. "Thanks to our health care law, Ohio families will no longer have to worry about falling into bankruptcy or emptying their bank account when a medical emergency, such as a car accident or cancer, strikes.  Strong consumer protections in the law ensure that the consumer is in the driver's seat when it comes to health insurance. As Families USA highlighted today, more than half a million Ohioans will enjoy new protections that limit out-of-pocket expenses. Ohioans deserve need to know that their health insurance will be there for them when they need it most, and that's exactly what this law was designed to do."

COLUMBUS - ProgressOhio and concerned Ohioans delivered petitions 2,179 petition signatures today to tell Attorney General Mike DeWine to stop wasting Ohio Taxpayers' dollars on the Health Care Lawsuit.

The Affordable Care Act is currently law and has been for ten months.  

If the Affordable Care Act is repealed then important health care coverage for Ohioans would be lost. 

Without the Affordable Care Act:

• 35,500 young adults under age 26 would lose their insurance coverage through their parents' health plans, sometimes just after they finish school and as they are looking for a job.

• Nearly 6.7 million residents of Ohio with private insurance coverage would suddenly find themselves vulnerable again to having lifetime limits placed on how much insurance companies will spend on their health care.

• Medicare would no longer pay for an annual check-up visit so more than 1.8 million seniors in Ohio who have Medicare coverage would have to pay extra if they want to stay healthy by getting check-ups regularly.

• 109,102 on Medicare Would See Significantly Higher Prescription Drug Costs: In Ohio, 109,102 Medicare beneficiaries received a one-time, tax-free $250 rebate to help pay for prescription drugs in the "donut hole" coverage gap in 2010.  Medicare beneficiaries who fall into the "donut hole" in 2011 will be eligible for 50 percent discounts on covered brand name prescription drugs.  Without the law, the burden of high prescription drug costs would hurt millions of Medicare beneficiaries across the country. 

Recently the Federal Court in Florida ruled against the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  At least two other judges have dismissed lawsuits on the ACA challenging constitutionality as groundless. 

"History reminds us to keep these lower court rulings in perspective.  Traditionally lower courts routinely strike down landmark legislation before the law is eventually upheld by the Supreme Court.  Social Security, Voting Rights Act, Civil Rights Act and Minimum Wage were all struck down in lower courts before the United States Supreme Court upheld them" Said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio.  

Hotline on Call:

What gets Rep. Michele Bachmann going in the morning?

Repealing Obamacare.

"Obamacare is quite literally the crown jewel of socialism, and repealing it is the driving motivation of my life,'' the Minnesota Republican told thousands of activists Thursday morning, the opening day of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

"The first political breath I take every morning is to repeal Obamacare.''

She added, in a jab at President Obama's alma mater, "Socialism might sell well in a Harvard faculty lounge, but in the real world, not so much.''

The three-term House member was at the front of a procession of potential presidential candidates auditioning for the crowd at the three-day event. Derided by her critics as a lightweight, Bachmann showed she knows how to play to the crowd, slinging pointed one-liners and offering to buy each person in the heavily college-aged audience a drink.

"The bar tab is mine!'' she said, inviting the crowd to her 5:30 p.m. reception, following a roll call of newly elected Republicans across the country.

Bachmann didn't mention her recent trip to early-voting Iowa but did reference her ill-received and parodied response to the State of the Union address in which she was looking off camera the whole time.

"Someone told me I needed to find the right camera,'' she joked. "All you (Saturday Night Live) fans, I think we're good to go.''

Tell Mike DeWine To Stop Wasting Ohio Taxpayers' Dollars On His Health Care Lawsuit!

Ohio AG Mike DeWine's lawsuit to overturn Health Care Reform is a politically motivated waste of taxpayer money and constitutional law experts overwhelmingly agree that the suit does not pass constitutional muster.

Orin Kerr, a George Washington Law School professor, said the repeal effort has a less than one percent chance of making it through the courts. Yale Law School professor Jack Balkin said the Supreme Court will, quote, "not be fooled, and they will reject this challenge." Ohio newspapers agree.

The Akron Beacon Journal called the repeal effort "frivolous," a "nuisance" and "something Republicans usually rush to pummel." Columnist Tom Suddes called the effort "frivolous" and a "sure loser."

Tell Mike DeWine To Stop Wasting Ohio Taxpayers' Dollars On His Health Care Lawsuit!

If health insurance reform were to be repealed, Ohioans would suffer:

    •    Insurance companies would continue to deny Ohioans coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
    •    Ohio seniors would be denied prescription drug coverage if they fall into the 'donut hole.'
    •    1.4 million Ohioans would not have access to quality, affordable health care.
    •    100,000 Ohio small businesses would not have tax credits they need to provide health insurance to their workers.
    •    1 million young adults would not be able to stay on their parents' health insurance plans.

Wednesday, February 9 and Thursday, February 10, supporters of health insurance reform will gather at phone banks across Ohio in a grassroots effort to urge Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine to drop his frivolous lawsuit seeking to repeal health insurance reform. Local volunteers will call their friends and neighbors, asking them to contact DeWine's office about this important issue.

The events, sponsored by Organizing for America, will take place in Akron, Bowling Green, Canton, Cleveland, Dayton, Hamilton, Lima, Toledo and Youngstown. Full details are below.

Supreme Court to uphold health law? Read of the morning . . .

Don't miss Harvard professor Laurence Tribe's strong piece predicting that the Supremes will uphold their "constitutional duty" and dismiss all the transparently political lawsuits designed to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Note in particular Tribe's assault on the phony distinction health reform foes draw between economic activity and inactivity, which he calls "illusory."

On Health Care, Justice Will Prevail

THE lawsuits challenging the individual mandate in the health care law, including one in which a federal district judge last week called the law unconstitutional, will ultimately be resolved by the Supreme Court, and pundits are already making bets on how the justices will vote.

But the predictions of a partisan 5-4 split rest on a misunderstanding of the court and the Constitution. The constitutionality of the health care law is not one of those novel, one-off issues, like the outcome of the 2000 presidential election, that have at times created the impression of Supreme Court justices as political actors rather than legal analysts.

Since the New Deal, the court has consistently held that Congress has broad constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce. This includes authority over not just goods moving across state lines, but also the economic choices of individuals within states that have significant effects on interstate markets. By that standard, this law's constitutionality is open and shut. Does anyone doubt that the multitrillion-dollar health insurance industry is an interstate market that Congress has the power to regulate?

Read The Full Op-Ed at The New York Times

Related:

Tell Mike DeWine To Stop Wasting Ohio Taxpayers' Dollars On His Health Care Lawsuit!

Tell Mike DeWine To Stop Wasting Ohio Taxpayers' Dollars On His Health Care Lawsuit!

Please sign our petition to demand Ohio's withdrawal from the Florida Health Care Lawsuit and read below for a list of Organizing For America phone banks across the state.

Recently the Federal Court in Florida ruled against the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  At least two other judges have dismissed lawsuits on the ACA challenging constitutionality as groundless.

History reminds us to keep these lower court rulings in perspective.  Traditionally lower courts routinely strike down landmark legislation before the law is eventually upheld by the Supreme Court.  Social Security, Voting Rights Act, Civil Rights Act and Minimum Wage were all struck down in lower courts before the United States Supreme Court upheld them. 

The Affordable Care Act is currently law and has been for ten months now.  It is time for our leaders to focus on implementing the law and to stop wasting time, energy and money with the distraction of these politically based lawsuits.

Tell Mike DeWine To Stop Wasting Ohio Taxpayers' Dollars On His Health Care Lawsuit!

HIV/AIDS takes an especially high toll among blacks nationwide. "By race/ethnicity, African Americans face the most severe burden of HIV in the United States." That's what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in its observance Monday of the 11th National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

African Americans account for almost half of new HIV cases, the CDC says. But the federal agency also is quick to point out that it's not race or ethnicity that makes the difference when it comes to HIV infection but social barriers that put African Americans at greater risk.

"Frequently, we know that if you don't have the means to see a doctor, you may not get an HIV test or treatment early in the disease cycle, when treatment can be most effective," the CDC says in its online report. "In 2007, nearly 1 in 5 African Americans were without health insurance versus just over 10% of whites. This disparity places African Americans at greater risk for late detection of a number of diseases."

Visit http://www.aids.gov for resources, tools, and additional information.

ProgressOhio released the following after last week's unsuccessful vote by the U.S. Senate to repeal the Affordable Care Act:

By Dave on February 2, 2011 7:15 PM

"If Senate Republicans are serious about repealing the Affordable Care Act, they should tell their constituents the truth about the cost-savings and consumer protections they want to take away. Senator Portman should tell the thousands of seniors in Ohio to cough up the $250 donut-hole checks they received from the new health care law to buy their prescription drugs. He should also tell the 1.8 million Ohio Seniors on Medicare to cancel or plan on paying for their future preventive care procedures and annual preventative check-up appointments because they will no longer be free if the law is repealed." said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio.

Senator Portman should tell Ohioan's 35,500 young adults that they will lose their insurance coverage through their parents' health plans, many of them sometimes just after they finish school and as they are looking for a job.

"If Senator Portman and every Republican U.S Senator who supports repeal are truly serious about repealing the Health Care Reform Law then they should let Ohioans know that they are on the side of big insurance and they should let Ohioans know what the real impact of this vote will be to Ohio's families, seniors and small businesses and let them know that they need to start worrying about their health care again" Rothenberg said.

Why Senator Portman Won't Tell The Truth
About The Affordable Care Act

Ohio Without the Affordable Care Act:

• 35,500 young adults would lose their insurance coverage through their parents' health plans, sometimes just after they finish school and as they are looking for a job.  Families across Ohio would lose the peace of mind the Affordable Care Act provides by making sure that young adults can stay on their parents plan to age 26 if they do not have coverage of their own.
• Nearly 6.7 million residents of Ohio with private insurance coverage would suddenly find themselves vulnerable again to having lifetime limits placed on how much insurance companies will spend on their health care.
• Insurance companies would once again be allowed cut off someone's coverage unexpectedly when they are in an accident or become sick because of a simple mistake on an application.   This would leave 533,000 people in Ohio at risk of losing their insurance at the moment they need it most, as one of the worst abuses of the insurance industry would become legal again.
• Nearly 6.7 million residents of Ohio would not know if they are receiving value for their health insurance premium dollars, as insurers in state would no longer be required to spend at least 80 to 85 percent of premium dollars on health care rather than CEO salaries, bonuses, and corporate profits. 
• New insurance plans would no longer be required to cover recommended preventive services, like mammograms and flu shots, without cost sharing, nor would they have to guarantee enrollees the right to choose any available primary care provider in the network or see an OB-GYN without a referral. 
• More than 1.8 million seniors in Ohio who have Medicare coverage would be forced to pay a co-pay to receive important preventive services, like mammograms and colonoscopies.
• Medicare would no longer pay for an annual check-up visit, so more than 1.8 million seniors in Ohio who have Medicare coverage would have to pay extra if they want to stay healthy by getting check-ups regularly. 

From Think Progress:

Judge Roger Vinson's error-filled opinion was one of the biggest news stories this week, at times even overshadowing the revolution underway in Egypt. Yet another opinion signed by George W. Bush-appointed Judge Keith Starrett highlights just how much of an extreme outlier Vinson is -- and how wrong it was for so many observers to overreact to Vinson's tea partying opinion.

The Constitution requires a plaintiff to show that they will actually be injured by a law before they can challenge it in court, a requirement known as "standing." Judge Starrett concluded that the plaintiffs in this suit did not demonstrate that the act's minimum coverage provision -- which requires most uninsured Americans to pay slightly more income taxes -- would actually cause them to pay more taxes when the law goes into effect in 2014:

Plaintiffs' First Amended Petition contains insufficient allegations to establish that they will certainly be "applicable individuals" who must comply with the minimum coverage provision.

For example, Plaintiffs did not allege any facts which, if true, would certainly establish that they would not be subject to the provision's religious exemptions. Plaintiffs simply alleged that they will be subject to the minimum essential coverage provision - a bare legal conclusion which the Court may not accept as true.

Furthermore, it is not certain from Plaintiffs' allegations that, in the event they were considered "applicable individuals," they would incur the tax penalty for non-compliance. Their First Amended Petition contains insufficient allegations to establish that they will not be subject to one of the exemptions to the penalty.

For all of the reasons stated above, the Court finds that the ten primary Plaintiffs have not plead sufficient facts to establish that they have standing to challenge the Constitutionality of the minimum essential coverage provision of the PPACA.

In tossing out this lawsuit, Starrett joins the overwhelming majority of judges who have heard health care challenges. At least 14 lawsuits have been tossed on procedural grounds such as standing; only four judges have reached the merits of an Affordable Care Act challenge, and two of those suits upheld the law.

Read More at Think Progress

On Monday Congress' government-subsidized health care went into effect for the newly elected members. And that health care plan is robust. For starters, no one can be excluded or penalized for pre-existing conditions, regardless of age. Dependents are covered up to age 26, whether they're students or not, and even if they have a pre-existing condition.

there's more:

Beginning today, a new Republican Member of Congress with high blood pressure, diabetes, or any chronic condition is immediately covered at the same premium cost as 8 million other federal employees. The same is true for his or her spouse and dependent children, regardless of age, gender or prior illness.

So, no pre-existing conditions, no rate hikes, and best of all, the government pays about $700/month for each enrollee. Isn't that nice of them?

Let it sink in: Taxpayers are paying $700 per month for a congress member and his family to have access to quality health care while Republicans go about the business of voting to repeal it for the rest of us.

Health care repeal would take away real protections
that are helping Ohioans right now

Columbus- ProgressOhio released the following after today's unsuccessful vote by the U.S. Senate to repeal the Affordable Care Act:

"If Senate Republicans are serious about repealing the Affordable Care Act, they should tell their constituents the truth about the cost-savings and consumer protections they want to take away. Senator Portman should tell the thousands of seniors in Ohio to cough up the $250 donut-hole checks they received from the new health care law to buy their prescription drugs. He should also tell the 1.8 million Ohio Seniors on Medicare to cancel or plan on paying for their future preventive care procedures and annual preventative check-up appointments because they will no longer be free if the law is repealed." said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio.

Senator Portman should tell Ohioan's 35,500 young adults that they will lose their insurance coverage through their parents' health plans, many of them sometimes just after they finish school and as they are looking for a job.

"If Senator Portman and every Republican U.S Senator who supports repeal are truly serious about repealing the Health Care Reform Law then they should let Ohioans know that they are on the side of big insurance and they should let Ohioans know what the real impact of this vote will be to Ohio's families, seniors and small businesses and let them know that they need to start worrying about their health care again" Rothenberg said.

Senate Democrats remained united on Wednesday in killing a Republican effort to repeal the health care bill signed into law last March.  

As expected, no Democrats voted against a procedural motion that effectively defeated a GOP amendment -- sponsored by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and tacked on to an unrelated aviation bill -- to repeal the health legislation.  

All Republicans voted together in favor of the McConnell-sponsored amendment. The vote was 47-51.

The House passed the repeal measure last month.

But the defeat of the equivalent legislation in the Senate means that the ultimate fate of the health care bill will likely not be settled until the Supreme Court hears an expected constitutional challenge to the law -- particularly its mandate that most Americans buy insurance.

The high court would likely hear the case in its next term, which begins in October of 2011, although some would like to see the matter addressed sooner. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., urged the court today to expedite the ruling.

"The vote to repeal health care is largely symbolic, because the Supreme Court is going to have to be the one to decide this matter," Nelson said in a statement. "We ought to do the right thing and ask the High Court to rule quickly so we don't keep arguing over this for the next several years."

Despite running a campaign largely focused on repealing government funded health care, today Representative Bob Gibbs's government funded health care benefits go into effect.  Representative Bob Gibbs opposed an effort to make sure that repeal of health insurance reform would only move forward if a majority of Members of Congress gave up their own government health care. He even opposed a simple measure to make transparent whether Members of Congress accepted government funded health care.   

At least 15 Republicans, keeping with the spirit of their congressional campaigns, are not taking their government health care while they fight to repeal health care for millions of Americans.

"It didn't take long for Representative Bob Gibbs to go Washington.  Representative Gibbs is accepting government funded health care, despite continuing the push to repeal the health reform benefits for middle income families," said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Representative Bob Gibbs apparently believes that repealing health insurance reform and putting private insurance companies back in charge of our health care may be good for his constituents, but it's not good for his very own family.  Representative Gibbs is the worst kind of hypocrite - one who looks out for themselves instead of their constituents."

According to recent polling, "Most Americans think incoming Congressmen who campaigned against the health care bill should put their money where their mouth is and decline government provided health care now that they're in office."

Lower courts routinely strike down landmark legislation before the law is eventually upheld

COLUMBUS - As expected, the Florida Court ruled against the Affordable Care Act (ACA) once again today.    At least two other judges have dismissed lawsuits on the ACA challenging constitutionality as groundless. 

"History reminds us to keep these lower court rulings in perspective.  Traditionally lower courts routinely strike down landmark legislation before the law is eventually upheld by the Supreme Court. Social Security, Voting Rights Act, Civil Rights Act and Minimum Wage were all struck down in lower courts before the United States Supreme Court upheld them," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio.

"It is disappointing that Judge Roger Vinson, a conservative appointed judge, chose to legislate from the bench.  This is just another political ploy to distract the public and resurrect a political debate that was resolved last year when the ACA became the law of the land", stated Rothenberg.

The Affordable Care Act is currently law and has been for ten months now.  It is time for our leaders to focus on implementing the law and to stop wasting time, energy and money with the distraction of these lawsuits.  Our leaders need to be focused on moving our country forward after a recession that has left with high foreclosures, and unemployment rates creating a hardship on consumers.  

"The cost saving and life saving benefits of this law should not be delayed due to Judges playing politics from the bench and history shows that as the higher courts rule today's decision will be in newspaper archives, not in the precedent of our law."

House GOP To Redefine Rape, Incest

There are a lot of serious problems facing the nation right now, so of course the new GOP led House of Representatives have to make their priorities clear. Those priorities now consist of repealing HCR, which will lower the deficit and create jobs, and now redefining rape and incest.

Federal funding is only allowed to pay for abortions in the case of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is endangered. But a new bill with 173 co-sponsors would further limit federally funded exceptions, only allowing Medicaid to pay for abortions in the case of "forcible rape."

Forcible rape has no formal definition under federal law, Baumann notes, but legal experts and abortion advocates told him that the new wording would most likely prevent Medicaid from paying for abortions for victims of statutory rapes not involving the use of force. Baumann's sources also told him that the revised wording might also disallow funding of abortions in cases where perpetrators used date-rape drugs on their victims, or targeted mentally incapacitated women.

Some states have no definition of forcible rape on the books, calling into question whether any abortions would qualify for federal funding in such jurisdictions.

It's unlikely that such a bill would ever be signed into law, but its always good to know that your newly elected congress is working tirelessly to remedy the things that truly matter. You know, like the founding fathers worked tirelessly to end slavery which is to say not at all.

Mr. Boehner where are the jobs?

In his most vigorous defense of the healthcare law since Republicans took control of the House, President Obama fired back at GOP claims that the law deprives essential care for seniors and balloons the deficit .

"You may have heard once or twice this is a job-crushing, granny-threatening, budget-busting monstrosity," Obama said earlier today to pro-reform advocates at the Families USA annual conference in Washington. "That just doesn't match up to the reality."

Obama's fired-up rhetoric comes just days after the president offered a more muted defense of the healthcare reform law in the State of the Union address.

The president was firm Friday and used the home-field advantage of a pro-healthcare reform crowd to bolster his defense of the law, which House Republicans voted to repeal only a week ago.

Obama fought back against GOP claims that the bill won't reduce healthcare costs and would hurt the nation's seniors while expanding the deficit.

With House Republicans using committee hearings this week to pose the reform law as bad for business, Obama touched on a report from a large business advocacy group that said the law would reduce premiums for workers.

"That's money that business can use to grow to invest or hire. ... That's money workers won't have to see vanish from paychecks or bonuses. That's good for all of us," he said.

"And I can report that granny is safe," he added, hitting back at GOP claims that the administration wants to ration expensive care for the elderly.

Watch It:

Read the President’s full remarks to the Families USA Health Action 2011 Conference.

View the full speech here.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius answers questions about the health care and health reform issues the President discussed in his State of the Union Address in a roundtable discussion.

Watch It:

In The Republican Rebuttal To The President's State Of The Union Speech Tonight Rep. Ryan Claimed The Affordable Care Act Is Stifling Job Creation

RYAN: What we already know about the President's health care law is this: Costs are going up, premiums are rising, and millions of people will lose the coverage they currently have. Job creation is being stifled by all of its taxes, penalties, mandates and fees.

"Stifled?" The Private Sector Has Grown By 1.1 Million Jobs Since Reform Bill Passed

January 19, 2011

As anyone near a newspaper, TV or computer knows by now, House Republicans are voting today on whether to repeal the new health-care law.

For Republicans, it's largely theater. They know the repeal effort will never survive the Senate or President Obama's veto pen.

For us, it's an opportunity. A chance for us to remind Americans about the urgent need for health care reform. Across the country, USAction affiliates are doing just that -- a sampling of those activities across the country:

Maine People's Alliance delivered 2,600 postcards to the newly elected Tea Party-backed governor, opposing repeal and demanding that the state not join a lawsuit challenging the new law.

Tennessee Citizen Action held a press conference at the state capitol that featured stories of people who desperately needed health care reform. It drew saturation coverage.

ProgressOhio mounted a spirited defense of health care reform, visiting members of Congress, making aggressive use of social media to rally supporters of the law and even delivering an inch-and-a-half thick book of comments from ProgressOhio members to public officials' offices, sharing their personal stories about why the law is desperately needed.

Penn Action's Stacie Ritter was featured on more than 60 NBC affiliate TV stations across the country, while an Associated Press photo of Brian Rothgery of Wisconsin Citizen Action appeared in newspapers as far away as Atlanta, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and San Antonio.

Indeed, in the approximately 30 states where activists are on the ground this week defending health care reform, almost half of the activities are being led or co-sponsored by USAction affiliates. We're asking people to think about what happens if the health care law is repealed.

PolitiFact: The health care law a "job killer"? The evidence falls short

Republicans have used the "job-killing" claim hundreds of times -- so often that they used the phrase in the name of the bill. It implies that job losses will be one of the most significant effects of the law. But they have flimsy evidence to back it up.

The phrase suggests a massive decline in employment, but the data doesn't support that. The Republican evidence is extrapolated from a report that was talking about a reduction in the labor supply rather than the loss of jobs, or based on measures that weren't included in the final health care law.

We rate the statement False.

Read The Full Analysis at PolitiFact

Washington, D.C.--A new television ad begins airing today in the district of newly elected Rep. Jim Renacci (R-Ohio), highlighting his vote to repeal health care legislation after taking $79,000 in campaign contributions from health and insurance interests in the 2010 election. 

"Jim Renacci sided with the insurance companies and against the people of Ohio in one his first votes in Congress," said David Donnelly, national campaigns director for Public Campaign Action Fund. "Renacci and his freshmen colleagues got elected to bring change to Washington, but yesterday's vote is the latest example of Washington listening to big insurance companies while everyday people lose out."

"It's disappointing that one of Renacci's first votes in Congress was to do the bidding of the big insurance companies that funded his campaign," said Brian Rothenberg, executive director of Progress Ohio. "The people of Ohio are tired of our pay-to-play political system that puts campaign cash ahead of everyday Americans." 

On Wednesday, the U.S. House voted on a bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, legislation passed last year to reform the nation's health care system. Rep. Renacci voted to repeal the legislation. In the 2010 election, Renacci took $79,000 in campaign contributions from political action committees (PACs) and individuals connected with health care and insurance interests. 

"Congressman James Renacci, who took $79,000 from health and insurance interests, just voted to put big insurance companies back in charge of your health care," the narrator reads in the ad. "So they can deny you coverage for pre-existing conditions, kick your kids off your plan, and jack up premiums. Is this the change we voted for?"

Watch It:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 19, 2011 - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, a law that includes important patient protections that are improving access to quality, affordable care for people with cancer and their families.

Following is a statement from Christopher W. Hansen, president of ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society:

"Repealing the law without a meaningful alternative would bring back pre-existing condition exclusions, annual and lifetime benefit limits, rescissions of health coverage following a diagnosis and other vestiges of a health system that failed to provide adequate, affordable health care to millions of cancer patients and survivors.

"The Affordable Care Act includes provisions that ban pre-existing condition exclusions and arbitrary rescissions of coverage, eliminate lifetime limits, annual limits and the ability of insurance companies to charge more based on an applicant's health status, and refocus the health care system on disease prevention and early detection. These and other patient protections need to be implemented and strengthened to meaningfully improve the health care system for people with cancer.

On the same day Republicans voted to take away access to affordable health care for middle class families, Representative Bob Gibbs voted against an effort to also repeal government subsidized health care plans for Members of Congress. Americans expect their Representatives to live by the rules that they write for everyone else but Representative Gibbs just voted to protect his government subsidized health care while planning to repeal the benefits of health insurance reform for hardworking middle class families. The motion would have required that repeal of health insurance reform would not take effect unless a majority of Members of the House and Senate waive their health care.
 
"In a stunning show of hypocrisy, Representative Bob Gibbs voted to protect government-subsidized health care for his family but not for the families of his constituents," said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Representative Bob Gibbs has become the latest Republican health care hypocrite to demand government-funded health care benefits for himself, while trying to repeal health care reform and make it harder for most Americans to afford coverage for their own families. On the same day he voted to repeal health insurance reform and put private insurance companies back in charge of our health care, Representative Bob Gibbs's vote makes clear that he is the worst kind of hypocrite - one who looks out for themselves instead of their constituents."
 
After campaigning against government run health care, several House Republicans affiliated with the Tea Party have announced they will not accept government health care as a Member of Congress.

Washington D.C. Today, Congressman Dennis Kucinich called the focus of the current health care debate, "the wrong debate." Kucinich maintained that attention should be directed on a universal, single-payer, not-for- profit, Medicare for All, health care system.

Congressman Kucinich delivered the following statement on the Floor of the House of Representatives:

"We have a for-profit health care system, where $800,000,000,000 every year is spent on corporate profits, stock options, executive salaries, advertising, marketing and the cost of paperwork.

"In the for-profit system that we have, nearly one out of every three health care dollars goes for things not related to health care. If we took that $800,000,000,000 and spent it on care for people, we'd have enough money to cover all medically necessary needs in addition to dental care, vision care, mental health care, prescription drugs and long-term care.

"We would not have a situation where 50 million Americans don't have any health insurance. Americans would not have to worry about losing everything they have worked a lifetime for because they have an illness in the family.

"This debate is the wrong debate. A for-profit model is the wrong model. We should be talking about universal health care, single-payer not-for-profit health care, Medicare for All, quality health care for all Americans."

Watch It:

He no longer has a pulse, but Dick Cheney has a mechanical heart pump - and a chance for a normal life.

"He really doesn't have a pulse, but he has blood pressure because blood is being pumped out from his ventricle into the aorta at a constant pressure," explains Dr. Kirk Garratt, clinical director of interventional cardiovascular research at Lenox Hill Hospital.

But what exactly is beating in Cheney's chest?

Called an implantable left ventricular assist device, it "works like a little centrifugal pump," Garratt said.  "It is like a spinning motor that acts like a fan to draw blood out of the pumping chamber, or left ventricle, and it propels the blood into the aorta."

Cheney's device, which is almost like a partial artificial heart, is battery-powered.

Is Cheney aware that his life-saving LVAD heart pump exists because of government-funding research and development?

LVADs are the direct legacy of the program to build a total artificial heart that was instituted at NIH more than 50 years ago. While a total artificial heart proved difficult to create, partial artificial hearts were designed and actively used in government-financed research trials by the late 1990s. While the newly empowered GOP is saber-rattling about huge cuts in government spending, without federal funding for NIH, Cheney would be very unlikely to be alive to join that chorus.

American taxpayer wealth -- redistributed to Dick Cheney's heart. Government-run healthcare.

Who in the Republican Caucus will have the temerity to ask for Cheney's heart back in their show of voting to repeal Health Care Reform for all Americans today.

President Obama released the following statement today regarding the Affordable Health Care Act:

"Today, the American people have greater health security than they did a year ago. Because of the Affordable Care Act, Americans no longer have to live in fear that insurance companies will drop or cap their coverage if they get sick, or that they'll face double-digit premium increases with no accountability or recourse. Small businesses across the country can take advantage of a new health care tax credit to offer coverage to their employees, and children suffering from an illness or pre-existing condition can no longer be denied coverage. Parents now can add their adult children up to age 26 to their health plans, and all Americans on new plans can access preventive care to keep them healthy with no additional out of pocket costs. Older Americans are seeing better benefits, lower prescription drug costs, and a stronger Medicare. And the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reports that improvements in health care delivery system as a result of this law will reduce federal deficits by over a trillion dollars in the next two decades.

So I'm willing and eager to work with both Democrats and Republicans to improve the Affordable Care Act. But we can't go backward. Americans deserve the freedom and security of knowing that insurance companies can't deny, cap, or drop their coverage when they need it the most, while taking meaningful steps to curb runaway health care costs."

See Also:

White House White Board: The Costs of Repealing Health Reform

New Report: 5.1 Million Ohio Residents With A Pre-Existing Condition Could Be Denied Coverage Without New Health Reform Law

Tell Congress 'Don't Deny Me and My Family The Same Health Insurance Protections You Get'

Today, Republicans in the House of Representatives are voting on a bill to repeal the new freedoms, control over health care decisions, and cost savings the health care law---the Affordable Care Act---provides the American people. As Secretary Geithner noted this morning, repeal would be bad for business and bad for the economy.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act would also have a significant effect on families' bank accounts. Stephanie Cutter, an Assistant to the President who has been working on implementing the health reform law, takes to the White House White Board to explain what repealing it would mean for family premium costs and American jobs.

Watch It:

Calling "constructive engagement on health reform vital to our nation's future," the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) today launched its Health Project, led by former Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle and Bill Frist, and former Governor Ted Strickland.  

"We know there remains a great political divide over the future of the health care system, but the need for substantive discussions and cooperation has never been greater," said Senator Daschle.  "An economically sustainable health system is in our collective interest, and I look forward to working with the states to help them lead the way with health reform.  If the states succeed, we as a nation will make significant progress."

The BPC will embark on a comprehensive review of the numerous challenges and opportunities confronting states as they deal with delivery, cost and coverage demands in their health systems.  Through a series of private and public discussions, the BPC will engage state, federal, business and workforce leaders over the next year.

"The emphasis on a strong, active state role is the most significant element of the new health care law, and moving forward we need to continue to create and implement solutions that work for state leaders," said Senator Frist.  "While the law is not perfect, it is now the foundation upon which all future reform will be based.  Working in close coordination with the states, our project will provide support as they make crucial and often difficult health care decisions.  We must face our health care crisis, and I look forward to making real progress on these issues through this substantive and forward-leaning project."

Overturning Reform Would Be Disastrous for Families and Seniors

Washington, DC - The group Catholics United today called on Catholics in four congressional districts to contact their representatives and ask them to vote 'no' on a bill to repeal landmark health care reform legislation passed by Congress last year.  The representatives - Steve Chabot (OH-1), Jim Renacci (OH-16), Bobby Schilling (IL-17), and Joe Walsh (IL-8) - are all Roman Catholics who defeated health care reform supporters in the November elections.  Tomorrow, Republican leadership is expected to bring the repeal bill, H.R. 2, up for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In addition to activating its local membership, Catholics United is placing 23,000 phone calls to Catholic voters in the districts.  After listening to the recording, which reminds voters of health reform's important protections for children and seniors, listeners can be connected directly to the member's office to urge them to vote 'no' on repeal.

While the House Republican leadership's action is largely symbolic, health care reform supporters urge political leaders to remember the many positive effects of health care reform that have already gone into effect, such as tax incentives for small businesses and benefits for senior citizens.  Repealing the Affordable Care Act would turn back the clock to a time when individuals and families were vulnerable to the whims of insurers who could arbitrarily deny coverage, hike up premiums, or drop patients from their insurance plans without notice.

"Make no mistake about it, repeal of health care reform will be a huge blow for those already receiving benefits under the act," said Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United.  "We want our leaders in Washington to know that repealing this law brings real and serious consequences for everyday Americans."

Catholics United is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the message of justice and the common good found at the heart of the Catholic Social Tradition. This is accomplished through online advocacy and educational activities. For more information, visit www.catholics-united.org.

Without Affordable Care Act protections, in 2014, 1 in 2 non-elderly Americans could be denied coverage or charged more due to a pre-existing condition

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new analysis showing that, without the Affordable Care Act, up to 5.1 million non-elderly Ohio residents who have some type of pre-existing health condition, like heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis or cancer, would be at risk of losing health insurance when they need it most, or be denied coverage altogether.  Across the country, up to 129 million Americans would be at risk.

Under the full range of policies in the Affordable Care Act to be enacted by 2014, Americans living with pre-existing conditions are free from discrimination and can get the health coverage they need, and families are free from the worry of having their insurance cancelled or capped when a family member gets sick, or going broke because of the medical costs of an accident or disease.  Repealing the law would once again leave millions of Americans worrying about whether coverage will be there when they need it.

"The Affordable Care Act is stopping insurance companies from discriminating against Americans with pre-existing conditions and is giving us all more freedom and control over our health care decisions," said Secretary Sebelius.  "The new law is already helping to free Americans from the fear that an insurer will drop, limit or cap their coverage when they need it most.  And Americans living with pre-existing conditions are being freed from discrimination in order to get the health coverage they need."

The analysis found that:

• Anywhere from 50 to 129 million (19 to 50 percent) of Americans under age 65 have some type of pre-existing condition. 

Examples of what may be considered a pre-existing condition include:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• AsthmaHigh blood pressure
• Arthritis  
• Older Americans between ages 55 and 64 are at particular risk; 48 to 86 percent of people in that age bracket live with a pre-existing condition. 
• 15 to 30 percent of people under age 65 in perfectly good health today are likely to develop a pre-existing condition over the next eight years. 
• Up to one in five Americans under age 65 with a pre-existing condition - 25 million individuals - is uninsured.

Prior to the Affordable Care Act, in the vast majority of states, insurance companies in the individual market could deny coverage, charge higher premiums, and/or limit benefits based on pre-existing conditions.  Surveys have found that 36 percent of Americans who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market encountered challenges purchasing health insurance for these reasons.

Members of Congress know their health insurance plan can't deny coverage for their kids.

Congressmen can rest assured that their insurance plan won't drop their families if they get sick

The Affordable Care Act gave your family the same health protections Members of Congress get.

But Republicans want to take that protection away from your family.

They want to put insurance companies back in charge.

Call Congress.

Tell them: you deserve the same health insurance protections they get.

Tell them: Don't repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Watch It:

Today, Boehner's House begins debating its first major piece of legislation: repealing the health care bill, lock, stock, and pre-existing conditions. They call it Repeal and Replace, but have yet to offer their replacement plan. Their only "plans" on the table? Tax credits and medical malpractice reform, with a large dose of free-market rhetoric.

Here's a quick outline of what the GOP "Repeal and Replace" plan actually means.

Vote To Repeal Health Reform is a Vote Against Ohio Retirees and Seniors

The following statement was issued today by David Friesner, President of the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans:

"The proposal to be voted on in the U.S. House this week to repeal the 2010 health reform law is unconscionable. Retirees and Seniors in Ohio are clear on this: DO NOT raise our prescription drug costs; DO NOT re-open the Medicare Part D prescription drug doughnut hole; and DO NOT take away our free preventive screenings by repealing this law.

"Over 1.8 million Medicare beneficiaries in Ohio would be harmed by the repeal of the health care reform law. Members of Ohio's Congressional delegation must vote against repeal and protect these important new benefits (http://bit.ly/gesRSR) for Ohio seniors.

"The new law extends the solvency of Medicare by 12 years and we must not reverse course. Last year, over 109,000 Ohio Medicare beneficiaries who fell into the doughnut hole received rebate checks. Retirees and seniors like Jean Hupp from Newark, who falls in the Medicare "donut hole" each October, will receive 50% off brand name drugs and 7% off generics. The doughnut hole is set to close entirely by 2020.

"Pre-Medicare retirees with pre-existing conditions will be put at risk of having limited or no insurance coverage. Early retirees or long term unemployed workers like those from Delphi or Dave Bilski of Perrysburg, and Bruce Bostick of Columbus scramble to keep health insurance coverage now because their employers went bankrupt and dropped retiree coverage and cut their pensions.

"Repeal of the Affordable Care Act would stop the incentivized rebalancing of Medicaid long-term care expenditures in the states and worsen the Ohio budget crisis.

"The Ohio Alliance asks the same questioned posed last week by Ohio retiree Dan Fonte: 'There's a lot of things that took effect that help seniors. Once you repeal it, what happens to all that? And what are you going to replace it? Why don't you make a replacement plan before you repeal it so we can look at it?'

"After years of Washington ignoring these problems, we've finally begun to move in the right direction. Repealing these new benefits repeals our promise to Ohio seniors and Medicare beneficiaries."

Washington, D.C. - The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) will launch its Health Project, led by former Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle and Bill Frist, and former Governor Ted Strickland, on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 in Washington, D.C.

In June 2009, former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, and Bob Dole produced a bipartisan blueprint for health care reform, Crossing Our Lines. Recognizing the continued need for bipartisan solutions to our health system challenges, the BPC is renewing its health care project with a focus on state-based initiatives. The new project will work with the states, through a series of public and private discussions, to ensure that Americans have access to high-quality, affordable health care.

Senators Daschle and Frist, along with Governor Strickland, will give remarks at the event and take questions from the audience. Project co-directors Chris Jennings and Sheila Burke, and BPC project director Julie Barnes will also be in attendance.

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that he has officially authorized action seeking to add Ohio to the growing roster of states challenging the constitutionality of the recently enacted healthcare law.

"Our Constitution provides for a federal government of significant, but defined and limited powers," DeWine said.  "By ignoring the constitutional limits on federal power, the healthcare law tramples on the rights of Ohio's citizens.  We need to defend the checks and balances that our Constitution creates through its divisions of power and protect the people of Ohio from this huge federal overreach."

In litigation now pending before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, some 20 states have asked the Court to declare the healthcare law unconstitutional.

The 112th Congress' Republican majority is bought and paid for by Wall Street-run corporations and their shill groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It comes as no surprise that one of the Republicans' first items is a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and all the benefits and consumer protections that are making a real difference in the lives of millions of Americans right now. What are they replacing it with? NOTHING.

Join us in the fight against Speaker John Boehner and the Republicans who want to give our health care back to the insurance companies, and sentence more than 30,000 Americans a year to death because they can't afford health insurance.

Everyone already knows that the Republican Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of the health insurance industry and other profit-hungry corporations. In case there was any doubt, the Republicans have begun hiring insurance and health care industry lobbyists for key positions on committees and members' staffs.

The scheduled repeal vote in the House is part of an all-out assault on the new law in the Congress, the courts and state legislatures. And it's an assault with well-funded corporate sponsors. Thankfully we have a strong Democratic caucus in the House and a majority in the Senate to fight back.

Sign The Petition Now!

Republicans in Congress shouldn't give our health care back to the insurance companies, and sentence more than 30,000 Americans a year to death because they can't afford health insurance.

WASHINGTON, DC-- Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH11) today co-sponsored four- amendments which are designed to protect from repeal key provisions of the Patient Bill of Rights and tax cuts for middle class families and seniors in the Affordable Care Act.  In its current form, the bill known as H.R. 2 would repeal the Affordable Care Act of 2010 in its entirety.  Congresswoman Fudge opposes efforts by House Republicans to eliminate access to coverage for 32 million Americans while increasing the Nation's deficit.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) initially estimated that repealing health care reform would increase the federal deficit by roughly $145-billion dollars over 10 years.  "Now we find the CBO has updated its figures and the news is even worse," said Congresswoman Fudge.   "The CBO considered changes in the economy and added two more years to its projections (through 2021). The new study says repealing the Affordable Care Act would swell the deficit another $230 billion dollars. Republicans have it wrong.  They call health care reform a job killer.  Repeal is the real threat to jobs, our economy and most of all, the health of hardworking Americans."

On Friday, the House is expected to vote on a Rule to bring the repeal bill to the Floor.  The amendments cosponsored by Congresswoman Fudge guarantee repeal cannot go forward unless the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Congressional Budget Office, certifies the following:

• That repeal will not permit an insurance company to deny someone coverage or otherwise discriminate against them because of a pre-existing condition.


• That repeal will not take away guarantees that life-saving preventative services such as mammograms and flu shots will be covered without cost-sharing


• That repeal will not raise drug costs to seniors and people with disabilities by reopening  Medicare prescription, drug donut hole, eliminate free preventive health coverage; or increase the incidence of fraud or abuse


• That  repeal will not increase taxes for moderate income or low income individuals or families, including through the elimination of tax credits for health care premiums as provided for under the Affordable Care Act.

As a result of the Affordable Care Act, families will soon be free from the constant worry that they will not be able to get health care when they need it the most. But repealing the law would strip Americans of this new freedom and take us back to the days when big insurance companies had the power to decide what care residents of Ohio could receive--allowing them to once again deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, cancel coverage when people get sick, and place limits on the amount of care people can get, even if they need it. What's more, without the law, insurance companies could overcharge for insurance just to boost their profits, or use fine print to deny medical treatments that are covered under people's policies.

In addition, repealing the law would add at least a trillion dollars to the deficit, which America cannot afford, nor do we want to pass that debt to our children and grandchildren.

At a time when Ohio residents will soon be finally free from worrying that affordable coverage will not be available to them and their families when they need it the most, repealing the Affordable Care Act would be devastating. Ohio residents, providers, small businesses and other employers would be denied critical new benefits of the law, from protections against insurance industry abuses to new coverage options and millions of dollars in support so states like Ohio can deliver quality, affordable health care options to all of its residents.

- 32 million Americans will lose coverage compared to current law: "Under H.R. 2, about 32 million fewer nonelderly people would have health insurance in 2019, leaving a total of about 54 million nonelderly people uninsured. The share of legal nonelderly residents with insurance coverage in 2019 would be about 83 percent, compared with a projected share of 94 percent under current law (and 83 percent currently)." (p. 8-9)

- Increases deficit by $230 billion over 10 years: "Consequently, over the 2012-2021 period, the effect of H.R. 2 on federal deficits as a result of changes in direct spending and revenues is likely to be an increase in the vicinity of $230 billion, plus or minus the effects of technical and economic changes to CBO's and JCT's projections for that period." (p. 5)

- Huge deficit increases over next decade: "Correspondingly, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2 would increase federal deficits in the decade after 2019 by an amount that is in a broad range around one-half percent of GDP, plus or minus the effects of technical and economic changes that CBO and JCT will include in the forthcoming estimate. For the decade beginning after 2021, the effect of H.R. 2 on federal deficits as a share of the economy would probably be somewhat larger." (p. 7)

- Individuals would pay more for health insurance: "Although premiums in the individual market would be lower, on average, under H.R. 2 than under current law, many people would end up paying more for health insurance-- because under current law, the majority of enrollees purchasing coverage in that market would receive subsidies via the insurance exchanges, and H.R. 2 would eliminate those subsidies." (p. 9-10)

- Average health care benefits would be worse: "In particular, if H.R. 2 was enacted... the average insurance policy in this market would cover a smaller share of enrollees' costs for health care and a slightly narrower range of benefits." (p.9)

- Premiums for employer-sponsored insurance would increase: "Premiums for employment-based coverage obtained through large employers would be slightly higher under H.R. 2 than under current law, reflecting the net impact of many relatively small changes." (p. 10)

The GOP is excluding the vote from its new cut-go rule -- under which increases in mandatory spending would have to be paid for but tax cuts would not -- and dismissing the CBO's estimates of savings in the health law by claiming that the initial savings from reform are largely imaginary. But this now places the new majority at odds with the 'gods' at the CBO -- who they've routinely cited to bolster their own proposals -- and its repeated pledges to lower spending in the new Congress.

Americans have a right to know whether Representative Bob Gibbs is taking government-funded health care while he continues to pledge to repeal the benefits of health insurance reform for hardworking middle class families.

In one of Gibbs's first votes in Congress, Gibbs opposed requiring Members of Congress to come clean about whether they will take government health care in the next 15 days. After campaigning against government run health care, several House Republicans affiliated with the Tea Party have announced they will not accept government health care as a Member of Congress.

"In one of the first votes, Representative Bob Gibbs hypocritically chose to hide from his constituents the government funded health care that Members of Congress receive, even though Gibbs campaigned against government-funded health care and has pledged to repeal it," said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

"Some Members have honored their pledge by refusing their congressional health care benefits, but Representative Bob Gibbs's vote makes clear that he will be the worst kind of hypocrite - one who looks out for themselves instead of their constituents."

"Most Americans think incoming Congressmen who campaigned against the health care bill should put their money where their mouth is and decline government provided health care now that they're in office." [Public Policy Polling, 11/23/10]

WASHINGTON D.C.- Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH11) called on Ohioans to not be fooled by a misguided plan by House Republican Leadership to throw out health care reform.

"Before the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies could discriminate against children with pre-existing conditions. Companies could charge women higher premiums just for being women. Seniors had no end in sight to the Medicare Part D prescription donut hole. Apparently, House Republicans think these injustices are ok. Repeal strikes at the very protections our families and seniors need," said Congresswoman Fudge. "Over half a million Ohioans once again risk completely losing their health insurance when they are dropped for being in an accident, become sick, or make a simple mistake on an application.

"Moreover, repeal does the opposite of what Republicans claim. Instead of lowering health care costs, repeal opens the floodgates to higher prescription drug costs and adds $143 billion dollars to the deficit over 10 years. Who's kidding whom? The only winners in this scenario are insurance companies. Ohioans deserve better."

Without the Affordable Care Act:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) argues that Republican efforts to repeal the healthcare law could actually open the door for a single-payer system favored by liberals.

Kucinich said that Republican efforts to starve the new healthcare law could inadvertently push the country toward a single-payer system.

"If you demolish the new bill and we go back to square one, you still have 50 million who don't have any coverage, then what's the option if you can't have the government, say, by private insurance, which -- believe me, as someone would has fought that system I understand that -- then the only other option is to say what other industrialized democracies say, healthcare is a basic right, we've got to provide for everyone, we'll have a single-payer system," the congressman said.

Americans in Ohio have already received benefits under new law

Today, Obama Administration officials and leaders in the AIDS community will speak at a World AIDS Day event at the White House to reflect on the lessons learned and the path forward in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the United States and around the world.

The President's Message Commemorating World AIDS Day:

Tell Us Your Story

This holiday season, many Ohioans are grateful for health insurance.
The Affordable Care Act allows hundreds of newly insured Ohioans who have pre-existing conditions to sit and enjoy family and friends without the financial and physical burdens caused by the lack of health coverage.

Are you one of them? Would you share your story with us?

The Affordable Care Act allows thousands of Ohio's young adults to be insured through their parent's policies, lifetime insurance caps are not the worry they once were for so many Ohioans and there will be no out of pocket preventive care costs for Medicare beneficiaries and others in new insurance plans.

Are you one of these Ohioans? Would you share your story with us?

What changes in the new law are you thankful for?

With post-election media reports of efforts to undermine or repeal federal health care reform, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage and Progress Ohio are continuing to gather stories so that we tell our lawmakers how important the Affordable Care Act is for Ohioans.

If you or anyone close to you has a story about how America's health care law has worked for you or will work for you once fully implemented, we'd like to hear from you.

Click here to share your story

Nancy-Ann DeParle, Director of the White House Office of Health Reform, answered your questions on health reform implementation in a live video chat for Tuesday Talks.

In March 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law -- the Act gives you better health security by putting in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that hold insurance companies accountable, lower health care costs, guarantee more choice, and enhance the quality of care for all Americans.

Watch It:

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a new rule called the "medical loss ratio" rule that will require health insurance companies to spend 80 to 85 percent of your health care insurance premiums on making you healthier instead of overhead costs like advertising or executive compensation.

Like many other provisions in the Affordable Care Act, the medical loss ratio rule brings a whole new level of transparency to the health insurance marketplace and holds the insurers accountable.

Until now there was no uniform requirement that health insurers spend a minimum share of premiums on medical care. Consumer groups say somewhere between 80 to 85 cents on the dollar represents good value, but many plans spend in the range of 60 to 80 cents.

Nancy-Ann DeParle, Director of the Office of Health Reform at the White House, takes some time to explain the new rule and why it's so important in this video.

Watch It:

Senators Scott Brown (R-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) "will introduce legislation Thursday allowing states to opt out of the controversial individual-mandate requirement of the health care reform law far sooner than they would under the law passed by Democrats earlier this year."

Politico reports:

The bill is a significant step on both sides of the aisle. It's an effort by a Senate Democrat to ease one of the law's requirements. And it's the first Republican-sponsored effort to modify - rather than repeal - a provision in the law.

The Affordable Care Act allows states to set up health care systems without a mandated purchase of health insurance, as long as they meet minimal requirements established by the Department of Health and Human Services. States can begin applying for mandate waivers in 2017, three years after the individual mandate is set to take effect.

But Wyden, who co-authored health reform's waiver provision with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), has previously spoken out against the 2017 start date as problematic: States would have to go through the motions of setting up a mandate-centered system only to dismantle it a few years later.

This new legislation would roll the waiver date back to 2014, when the individual mandate comes into effect.

Sen. Wyden has a message for all the attorneys general and Republican lawmakers who are threatening lawsuits and claiming that an individual mandate for insurance coverage is unconstitutional: You don't have to abide by it -- just set up your own plan.

A group of House Democrats has released a letter to Republican congressional leaders calling on them to announce which of their members will be forgoing their congressional benefit health insurance (which is subsidized by the government) in light of their party's opposition to health care reform overhaul legislation.

"If your conference wants to deny millions of Americans affordable health care, your members should walk that walk," four Democrats write in the letter, which is addressed to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Republican leader John Boehner. "You cannot enroll in the very kind of coverage that you want for yourselves, and then turn around and deny it to Americans who don't happen to be Members of Congress."

According to the letter, the federal government pays more than $10,000 of the premiums of each member of Congress who has a family policy under the most selected plan.

The signatories on the letter are four liberal lawmakers: Joseph Crowley of New York, Linda T. Sanchez of California, Donna Edwards of Maryland and Tim Ryan of Ohio. They sent a separate letter to other Democratic colleagues asking them to sign onto the effort.

This morning, Bloomberg reporter Drew Armstrong broke an incredible story revealing that health insurance companies, like UnitedHealth and CIGNA, funneled $86.2 million into the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2009 to pay for the Chamber's multifaceted campaign to kill President Obama's health reform legislation.

Health insurers last year gave the U.S. Chamber of Commerce $86.2 million that was used to oppose the health-care overhaul law, according to tax records and people familiar with the donation.

The insurance lobby, whose members include Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Philadelphia-based Cigna Corp., gave the money to the Chamber in 2009 as Democrats were increasing their criticism of the industry, according to one person who requested anonymity because laws don't require identifying funding sources. The Chamber of Commerce received the money from the Washington-based America's Health Insurance Plans when the industry was urging Congress to drop a plan to create a competing public insurance option.

The spending exceeded the insurer group's entire budget from a year earlier and accounted for 40 percent of the Chamber's $214.6 million in 2009 spending. The expenditures reflect the insurers' attempts to influence the bill after Democrats in Congress and the White House put more focus on regulation of the insurance industry.

The $86.2 million paid for advertisements, polling and grass roots events to drum up opposition to the bill that's projected to provide coverage to 32 million previously uninsured Americans, according to Tom Collamore, a Chamber of Commerce spokesman.

According to a new report by HCAN, a pro-reform group, health insurers posted a 22 percent increase in profits for 2010, largely by shedding customers.

How much of that money -- money from health insurance premiums -- is being used on right-wing lobbying campaigns instead of actual treatments and health care for the sick?

Let me begin by letting you in on a secret:  We Americans used to care about each other--and... we used to share.  Shhhh!  Among other things, our great-grandparents used to share food, barn-raising, and two-holers.

More recently, Americans have shared bathrooms (nine of us shared one)--even telephones ("party lines"), and difficult as it may be to imagine: Televisions... Within a family and among families: one to a family, somehow.

Mom was no Commie, despite her insisting through the McCarthy years that we all "Share and share alike".  As some of  you may know, a movie got blacklisted in the late 1940's for the line:  "Share and share alike; that's democracy."

I still prefer Mom's way--of course, I do still have a heart, and I think people should come before both profits (with an "f") and prophets (with a "ph").

Which brings me to my main topic: HOW I came to be the guy you may know as "the guy with Parkinson's who sat down in front of some T-party members, and got some ugly treatment in return."

Thirty-five of the nation's leading economists said Friday they are opposing the 20-state legal challenge to the healthcare reform law.

The distinguished list includes three Nobel laureates and several high-ranking officials in former administrations. Groups representing people with disabilities, the business community and a broad coalition of healthcare reform advocates are also joining the fight.

In a friend-of-the-court brief, the economists promise to "provide this Court insight into the key economic factors, including the significant distortions in the markets for medical care and health insurance, that led to the long-running health care crisis in this country."

They also vow to "explain why the unique economics of health care distinguish it from virtually every other business" and to "demonstrate that upholding the constitutionality of that provision will not serve as a basis for an unlimited expansion of the federal government's powers."

There are those out there that have promised to repeal the new health care law and are trying to say it is bad for the economy.

Listen in as Elizabeth Lessner, President and CEO of Betty's Family of Restaurants, in Columbus, discusses why she believes the new health care law is good for small business.

Betty's Family of Restaurants, runs Betty's Fine Food & Spirits, the Surly Girl Saloon, Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails and Dirty Frank's Hot Dogs.

Ohio Restaurant CEO Supports New Health Care Law

You have heard a voice of small business, now it's time to use your voice and go vote in this election.

For voting information click here: http://www.howtovoteinohio.org

The major benefits start in 2014, when tens of millions of the uninsured will gain coverage through Medicaid or by buying private coverage -- with government help for low- and middle-income Americans -- on the new competitive exchanges. If you lose your job, you will no longer lose access to insurance. And with government help the coverage should be affordable.

Washington, DC - Health Care for America Now (HCAN), the 1,000-member coalition that led the successful fight for health reform, launched a 10-state telephone campaign today to warn a half-million seniors, including tens of thousands in the 15^th and 16^th Ohio Congressional Districts, about deceptive television ads designed to scare them into thinking their Medicare-provided health care will be disrupted. The biggest lie in the ads is that the Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted on March 23, will cut the guaranteed Medicare benefits seniors receive. That is a falsehood spread by insurance industry interests trying to protect their excessive profits. The leading seniors group, AARP, says that's not true and that the law is filled with good things for Medicare and its enrollees.

"The ACA strengthens Medicare by protecting and improving guaranteed benefits and cracking down on waste, fraud and inefficiency," said Brian Rothenberg, ProgressOhio. "It will keep Medicare financially stable for 12 years longer than if the law hadn't been passed, and it prevents cuts to Medicare's guaranteed benefits, and reduces the cost of prescription drugs."

Susan B. Anthony List, Other Anti-Reform Organizations Could be Penalized for False Ads

Washington, DC - The Ohio Elections Commission today found probable cause that the group Susan B. Anthony List broke the law by falsely asserting in political advertisements that Congressman Steve Dreihaus (OH-01) voted to allow federal funding of abortion. The ruling has wide-reaching implications for self-described pro-life groups currently engaged in smear campaigns against a number of elected officials who voted for the health care reform act earlier this year.

Since the bill passed, a host of organizations - including the Susan B. Anthony List, Americans United for Life, National Right to Life Committee, Family Research Council, and the National Republican Congressional Committee - have used the false abortion funding claim to improperly influence the November elections. In doing so, they ignored expert analyses and independent fact-checks showing that the abortion funding claim was inaccurate. The ruling has national implications because similar ads sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony List and Americans United for Life are running against numerous Democratic Congressional candidates, including Reps. John Boccieri (OH-16), Kathy Dalhkemper (PA-03), Joe Donnelly (IN-02), and Tom Perriello (VA-05).

"The Ohio Election Commission's probable cause finding confirms what we've said all along: that organizations like the Susan B. Anthony List are deliberately spreading lies for political gain," said Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United. "In doing so, these groups have betrayed the voters and made a mockery of the democratic process."

The Affordable Care Act Offers Tax Cuts To Roughly 127,800 Small Businesses In Ohio. According to a report by Families USA and Small Business Majority, 127,800 small businesses (85.7 percent) in Ohio are eligible for tax credits to defray some of the costs associated with employer-based health insurance. [A Helping Hand for Small Businesses: Health Insurance Tax Credits, Families USA and Small Business Majority, July 2010]

• Small Businesses Are Eligible To Receive Tax Credits For Up To 35 Percent Of The Employer Premium Contribution. According to The Commonwealth Fund: "Between 2010 and 2013, the legislation provides tax credits for up to 35 percent of the employer premium contribution (which must be at least 50 percent of the full premium) for employers with fewer than 25 employees and average wages below $50,000. The full 35 percent tax credit is available to employers with 10 or fewer full-time employees and average wages of $25,000 or less and phases out for larger firms." [The Commonwealth Fund, 9/2/10]
• By 2014, Small Businesses Will Be Eligible To Deduct Up To 50 Percent Of Their Insurance Premium Contributions For A Tax Credit. According to Small Business Majority: "Beginning in tax year 2014, the maximum tax credit increases to 50% of premium expenses and coverage must be purchased from a state health insurance exchange. This tax credit is available for a total of any two years."  [Small Business Majority, accessed 9/30/10]
• Qualifying Small Businesses In Ohio Will Be Eligible For Thousands Of Dollars In Tax Credits. Under the health care reform law, qualifying small businesses in Ohio that provide health insurance for their workers will be eligible to receive a tax credit worth up to 35 percent of the average premium in the state. In 2014, that tax credit increases to 50 percent of the average state premium. According to the 2010 IRS health insurance cost estimate, in Ohio a qualifying employer is eligible for a tax credit of approximately $1,633 per employee and $3,952 per family ($4,667 for individuals and $11,293 for families). [IRS.gov, accessed 10/4/10; IRS.gov, accessed 10/4/10]

If you can't attend the thank you event on Sunday you can send us a message to thank President Obama for his work on Health Care, Social Security and Financial Reform.

The deadline to send us your message is by this Saturday, October 16^th so that we have time to compile the messages that will be hand delivered to President Obama this Sunday.

Event: Thank You Mr. President!
Group: ProgressOhio
Where: The Ohio State University, Corner of Lane Avenue and High Street
When: 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 17^th

Send your Thank You Messages to info@progressohio.org

Today, too many Americans don't get the preventive health care they need to stay healthy, avoid or delay the onset of disease, lead productive lives, and reduce health care costs. Often because of cost, Americans use at about half the recommended rate. Yet chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes - which are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75 percent of the nation's health spending - often are preventable.

Cost sharing (including deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments) reduces the likelihood that preventive services will be used. Expanding access to preventive care will reduce health disparities for 41 million African Americans (14% of the population) by helping to prevent many diseases that have a disproportionate impact on this group. The death rate for African Americans is higher than that of whites for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS - conditions that can often be prevented

The health insurance reform legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on March 23 - will help make prevention affordable and accessible for all Americans by requiring health plans to cover preventive services and by eliminating cost sharing.

According to new regulations released by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury, if an individual or family enrolls in a new health plan on or after September 23, 2010, then that plan will be required to cover recommended preventive services without charging a deductible, copayment or coinsurance.

Expanding access to preventive care can improve health outcomes for African Americans and all Americans.

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Visit "The (Mis)Informant"

Judge George Caram Steeh ruled that Congress did not exceed its authority by requiring people to have insurance by 2014. He also turned down a challenge Thursday to the financial penalty that comes with having no insurance.

A Michigan-based Christian legal group and four people filed a lawsuit in March, claiming the law is unconstitutional.

This may be the first federal court decision to address claims that Congress over-stepped its constitutional authority by requiring most individuals to obtain health care insurance coverage or pay a penalty, beginning in 2014.

Similar challenges to the new law are pending in several other courts across the country.

The judge said lawmakers intended to lower the overall cost of health insurance by requiring people to participate. Steeh said Congress didn't exceed powers allowed under the Constitution's commerce clause, which  authorizes Congress to regulate activities which substantially affect interstate commerce.

You can read the judge's entire opinion at mied.uscourts.gov.

Washington, DC--The same week that her Small Business Intermediary Lending Pilot Program Act was signed into law, U.S. Representative Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15) put another legislative win under her belt with the passage of her Medical Debt Relief Act of 2010.  The bill, which passed the House today by a margin of 336 to 82, would prevent credit bureaus from using paid off or settled medical debt against consumers seeking home mortgages or car loans.

"I introduced the Medical Debt Relief Act to help hard-working Ohioans who play by the rules yet suffer blows to their credit scores because of an unforeseen medical emergency," said Kilroy.  "In this day and age credit scores are critical to an individual's ability to buy a house, car, or even attain gainful employment. My bill would ensure fairness by guaranteeing Ohioans and the millions of other Americans affected by medical debt that their future financial transactions will not be adversely affected years after they've settled what they owed."

According to the nonpartisan Commonwealth Fund, there are 79 million adults with medical debt or bill problems.  This is because medical debt collections are more likely to be in dispute, inconsistently reported, and can stay on a borrower's credit report for seven years - even if that bill is ultimately paid or settled. Therefore, Americans who do incur debt and subsequently reconcile it are forced to wait years for their credit scores to rebound, affecting their ability to buy a home, launch a business, or even obtain a job.  Kilroy introduced the Medical Debt Relief Act to help hard-working Americans who despite having paid their medical debts, find their economic well-being adversely affected for years to come. The bill would require that medical debt fully paid off or settled be removed from a consumer's credit records within 45 days.

Kilroy's Medical Debt Relief Act is supported by: National Association of Home Builders, Mortgage Bankers Association, Americans for Financial Reform, National Credit Reporting Association, Consumer's Union, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients), National Association of Consumer Advocates, Consumer Action, Families USA, Unite Here, National MS Society, Corporation of Enterprise Development, NAACP, the National Council of La Raza, Consumer Federation of America, U.S. PIRG, and Community Catalyst.

/>Some additional facts about medical debt:

More than 1 Million Ohioans Will Be Eligible
for Health Care Premium Tax Credits in 2014

Columbus, OH-- In Ohio, 1,082,500 people will be eligible for new tax cuts beginning in 2014 that will significantly reduce the cost of private health insurance for those individuals and families. The historic tax cut in the health reform law, which is estimated to reduce nationwide income taxes by more than $110 billion in 2014 alone, will be provided through tax credits to offset a portion of the cost of health insurance premiums, and Ohioans' tax reductions will approximate $4.1 billion in that year.

Those are among the key findings of a report for Ohio released today by the health care consumer group, Families USA, which commissioned The Lewin Group to use its economic models to estimate how many individuals in the state would benefit from the new premium tax credits.

"Health care reform gives Ohioans peace of mind that health care will be there when they need it. And, the new law will help Ohioans pay for coverage too," said Cathy Levine, co-chair of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage. "Too many Ohioans are not covered because of cost.  This middle class tax cut will help Ohioans afford the coverage they need."

Titled "Lower Taxes, Lower Premiums: The New Health Insurance Tax Credit in Ohio," the report also states that the vast majority of Ohioans who will be eligible for the premiums tax credit--96 percent--will be in working families.

• Approximately 938,000 people--the majority of those who will be eligible for the credits--will be in families with a worker who is employed full-time.

• Another 97,100 people will be in families with a worker who is employed part-time

Voters who say the new health reform law was too conservative outnumber by 2 to 1 those supporting repeal, according to a poll released Saturday. 

The poll found that about four in 10 adults think the new law did not go far enough to change the health care system, regardless of whether they support the law, oppose it or remain neutral. On the other side, about one in five say they oppose the law because they think the federal government should not be involved in health care at all.

Republicans, who voted unanimously against the health reforms, have molded their campaign message around the idea that opposition to the law comes overwhelmingly from voters who consider it an intrusion on time-honored liberties. 

"When you said you didn't want a government takeover of health care, we heard you," Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Saturday during the Republican's weekly radio address.

But the poll suggests dissatisfaction with the new law is much more nuanced than that, with more voters indicating frustration that the Democrats didn't go further. 

"I was disappointed that it didn't provide universal coverage," Bronwyn Bleakley, 35, an Easton, Mass.-based biology professor, told the AP.

"They'll get not one dime from us," the House Republican leader, John A. Boehner of Ohio, told The Cincinnati Enquirer recently. "Not a dime. There is no fixing this."

The Patient's Bill of Rights in Health Care Reform puts patients and doctors - not insurance company bureaucrats - in charge of health care decisions. Congressional Republicans would return consumers to a broken health care system where patients are at the mercy of the insurance companies. Insurance companies would:

Be allowed to drop people when they get sick.

Be allowed to deny coverage for children with pre-existing conditions.

Be allowed to put lifetime limits on coverage, which has caused thousands of insured, middle-class Americans to declare bankruptcy when a catastrophic illness strikes and they exceed the lifetime limit.

Be allowed to put unreasonable annual limits on coverage, cutting off coverage for hundreds of thousands of people when they need it most.

Be allowed to prevent parents from keeping their young adult children on their health plan as the children work to launch their careers.

Be allowed to make key preventive services, such as mammograms and immunizations, subject to deductibles and co-payments.

Be allowed to deny coverage for needed care without providing patients a chance to appeal to an independent third party.

Repealing health insurance reform would eliminate key protections for millions of Americans. We won't go back to a broken, unsustainable health care system. We can't afford it.

Health Reform is designed to put you, not the health insurance companies, back in charge of your health care. On Thursday, the Affordable Care Acts' new "Patient's Bill of Rights" to stop the worst insurance company abuses begins to take effect. Here's what it means for you.

If you are privately-insured:

Last spring, Congress passed the most sweeping reform of our health care system since the establishment of Medicare. While state-based health insurance exchanges won't become operational until 2014, the new health care reform law provides immediate benefits that take effect on September 23, 2010. 

Despite what many conservatives claim, the health care law that passed earlier this year provides benefits not only to those who are uninsured but also vastly improves accessibility for those who have health insurance.

After they leave their parents' insurance plans and before they receive health care from their employer, health insurance becomes an afterthought to many young people, who simply go without coverage.  For those on tight budgets, the cost of health insurance is too high after rent, utilities, and food bills are covered.  Starting on September 23, 2010, young adults can stay on their parents' health insurance plan until they are 26 years old.  Not only will this new provision ensure proper health care for Americans as they finish their educations and begin their careers, it will also ensure a healthier generation of young Americans.

Here are some details on this major aspect of the law that will be implemented starting September 23, 2010.

Today, President Obama is celebrating the six month anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. To help celebrate, we are unveiling a new website - www.WhiteHouse.gov/HealthReform that provides critical information regarding the Affordable Care Act. The site includes 50 stories from individuals and employers in every state and new state-by-state reports that detail how reform is already strengthening the health care system in your state.

You can listen to audio stories from Americans who are benefitting from the new law and watch this video of Gail O'Brien who received a surprise phone call from President Obama. Gail was previously uninsured and diagnosed with high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Thanks to the new law, Gail now has insurance through the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan that will pay for her treatments, and she is responding very well.

The six month anniversary marks a major milestone for our health care system. The Patient's Bill of Rights will take effect, putting an end to some of the worst insurance industry abuses.

The Patient's Bill of Rights:

• Bans discrimination against kids with pre-existing conditions.
• Allows young adults to remain on their parents' plan until their 26th birthday.
• Prohibits insurance companies from cutting off your coverage when you're sick if you made a mistake on your application.
• Prohibits insurance companies from putting a lifetime limit on the amount of coverage you may receive, and restricts the use of annual limits until they are banned completely in 2014.
• And if you join a new plan:
  • You have the right to choose your own doctor in your insurer network.
  • Your insurer is banned from charging more for emergency services obtained outside of their network.
  • You will be guaranteed the right to appeal insurance company decisions to an independent third party.
  • You will receive recommended preventive care with no out-of-pocket cost. Services like mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations, pre-natal and new baby care will be covered, and insurance companies will be prohibited from charging deductibles, co-payments or co-insurance. 

The enactment of the Patient's Bill of Rights comes during a week when we've already received good news about the Affordable Care Act and our health insurance premiums. On Monday, Blue Cross Blue Shield announced that, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 215,000 customers will receive refunds totaling $155.8 million. Tuesday brought more good news when the Department of Health and Human Services announced that, on average, premiums for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage would go down, while enrollment in the program is expected to increase. You can learn more about how the new law is strengthening our health care system in your state by visiting the new site today. Or visit HealthCare.gov to learn about all of the coverage options in your community based on your unique needs and circumstances.

Details on the Patient's Bill of Rights and examples of how the Administration has already delivered  benefits of the Affordable Care Act to the American people are included below:

Last spring, Congress passed the most sweeping reform of our health care system since the establishment of Medicare. While state-based health insurance exchanges won't become operational until 2014, the new health care reform law provides immediate benefits that take effect on September 23, 2010. 

Despite what many conservatives claim, the health care law that passed earlier this year provides benefits not only to those who are uninsured but also vastly improves accessibility for those who have health insurance.

On September 23, 2010, Americans will see the first wave of changes brought by the new law.  Families will be able to have free check-ups with their doctor, insurance companies won't be able to take away coverage because someone gets sick, and young adults will be able to stay on their parents' insurance plans until they are 26 years old.

Last spring, Congress passed the most sweeping reform of our health care system since the establishment of Medicare. While state-based health insurance exchanges won't become operational until 2014, the new health care reform law provides immediate benefits that take effect on September 23, 2010. 

Despite what many conservatives claim, the health care law that passed earlier this year provides benefits not only to those who are uninsured but also vastly improves accessibility for those who have health insurance.

On September 23, 2010, Americans will see the first wave of changes brought by the new law.  Families will be able to have free check-ups with their doctor, insurance companies won't be able to take away coverage because someone gets sick, and young adults will be able to stay on their parents' insurance plans until they are 26 years old.

Last spring, Congress passed the most sweeping reform of our health care system since the establishment of Medicare. While state-based health insurance exchanges won't become operational until 2014, the new health care reform law provides immediate benefits that take effect on September 23, 2010. 

Despite what many conservatives claim, the health care law that passed earlier this year provides benefits not only to those who are uninsured but also vastly improves accessibility for those who have health insurance.

On September 23, 2010, Americans will see the first wave of changes brought by the new law.  Families will be able to have free check-ups with their doctor, insurance companies won't be able to take away coverage because someone gets sick, and young adults will be able to stay on their parents' insurance plans until they are 26 years old.

Consumers Launch Build It Now! Campaign to Highlight How Reform Helps Ohioans

Columbus, OH—Today, health care consumers gathered at the Statehouse to celebrate how health care reform is helping Ohioans and to launch the “Build It Now!” campaign. Two years after launching its successful “Fix It Now!” campaign, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage switches its focus to educating the public and building a strong foundation for the new health care system.

“We are celebrating that health care reform is already helping Ohioans,” said Col Owens, co-chair of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage. “As we celebrate, though, we must work hard to ensure that the right kind of health care system is built.”

On September 1, 2010, Ohio’s high risk pool program will start to cover Ohioans who have been shut out of the insurance market because of pre-existing conditions. The program is expected to help 5,500 Ohioans. Cathy Allen from Ottawa County has been shut out of the insurance market due to being diagnosed with Lupus. She has waited too long to find affordable coverage.

“Although I am very healthy today and do not need expensive care for my condition, I have been uninsurable because my Lupus is a pre-existing condition,” said Allen. “The high risk pool has allowed me to have access to affordable coverage so I can get preventive care and have peace of mind should something more serious occur.”

More Ohioans will see the benefits of health care reform on September 23, when several major provisions of the legislation go into effect. These changes include:

• Guaranteeing coverage of preventive services so people don’t have to wait until they are sick to see a health care provider;

• Extending family insurance benefits to young adults who are searching for employment or starting their careers in jobs that don’t have insurance benefits; and

• Changing how insurance companies treat those who pay their premiums and expect coverage to be there when they are sick.

The Affordable Care Act is designed to put you, not the health insurance companies, back in charge of your health care. The Patient’s Bill of Rights in the Affordable Care Act will stop insurance companies from limiting the care you need and remove insurance company barriers between you and your doctor. These new protections in the Affordable Care Act go into effect for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010—learn more about them:

YOUR HEALTH COVERAGE CANNOT BE ARBITRARILY CANCELED IF YOU BECOME SICK

Up until now, insurance companies had been able to retroactively cancel your policy when you became sick, if you or your employer had made an unintentional mistake on your paperwork.

Under the new law, health plans are now prohibited from rescinding coverage except in cases involving fraud or an intentional misrepresentation of facts. Due to pressure from Democrats in Congress and the Obama Administration, insurers agreed to begin implementing this protection early, this spring; so rescissions are now a thing of the past. This protection applies to all health plans.

YOUR CHILD CANNOT BE DENIED COVERAGE DUE TO A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION

Each year, thousands of children who were either born with or develop a costly medical condition are denied coverage by insurers. Research has shown that, compared to those with insurance, children who are uninsured are less likely to get critical preventive care including immunizations and well-baby checkups. That leaves them twice as likely to miss school and at much greater risk of hospitalization for avoidable conditions.

The new law prohibits insurance plans both from denying coverage and limiting benefits for children based on a pre-existing condition. This protection applies to all health plans, except “grandfathered” plans in the individual market. These protections will be extended to Americans of all ages starting in 2014.

YOUR HEALTH PLAN CANNOT PUT A LIFETIME LIMIT ON YOUR HEALTH COVERAGE

Millions of Americans who suffer from costly medical conditions are in danger of having their health insurance coverage vanish when the costs of their treatment hit lifetime limits. These limits can cause the loss of coverage at the very moment when patients need it most. Over 100 million Americans have coverage that imposes such lifetime limits.

The new law prohibits the use of lifetime limits in all health plans and insurance policies.

YOUR HEALTH PLAN’S ANNUAL LIMITS ARE PHASED OUT OVER THREE YEARS

Even more aggressive than lifetime limits are annual dollar limits on what an insurance company will pay for health care. Annual limits are less common than lifetime limits – but 19% of individual market plans and 14% of small employer plans currently use them.

The new law phases out the use of annual limits over the next three years. For plan years beginning on September 23, 2010, the minimum level for the annual limit will be set at $750,000. This minimum is raised to $1.25 million in a year and $2 million in two years. In 2014, all annual limits are prohibited. The protection applies to all plans, except “grandfathered” plans in the individual market.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BOTH AN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL APPEAL

Today, if your health plan tells you it won’t cover a treatment your doctor recommends, or it refuses to pay the bill for your child’s last trip to the emergency room, you may not know where to turn. Most plans have a process that lets you appeal the decision within the plan through an “internal appeal” – but there’s no guarantee that the process will be swift and objective. Moreover, if you lose your internal appeal, you may not be able to ask for an “external appeal” to an independent reviewer.

The new law ensures that all consumers in new health plans have access to internal and external appeals processes that are clearly defined and impartial.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE YOUR OWN DOCTOR

Being able to choose and keep your doctor is highly valued by Americans. Yet, insurance companies don’t always make it easy to see the provider you choose. One survey found that three-fourths of the OB-GYNs reported that patients needed to return to their primary care physicians for permission to get follow-up care.

The new law: 1) guarantees you get to choose your primary care doctor; 2) allows you to choose a pediatrician as your child’s primary care doctor; and 3) gives women the right to see an OB-GYN without having to obtain a referral first. These protections apply to all plans except “grandfathered” employer and individual market plans.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ACCESS TO OUT-OF-NETWORK EMERGENCY ROOM CARE AT IN-NETWORK COST-SHARING RATES

Many insurers charge unreasonably high cost-sharing for emergency care by an out-of-network provider. This can mean financial hardship if you get sick or injured when you are away from home.

The new law makes emergency services more accessible to consumers. Health plans will not be able to charge higher cost-sharing for emergency services that are obtained out of a plan’s network. This protection applies to all plans except “grandfathered” employer and individual market plans.

Download a .pdf version the Patient’s Bill of Rights»

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the award of $1 million to Ohio to help crack down on health insurance premium increases.  Ohio will use this Affordable Care Act funding to help improve the oversight of proposed health insurance premium increases, take action against insurers seeking unreasonable rate hikes, and ensure Ohioans receive value for their premium dollars.

“The Affordable Care Act puts in place critical market reforms to improve quality and reduce the cost of health care for employers and individuals.  Increased competition, lower insurance overhead, and better risk pooling in health insurance Exchanges in 2014 are expected to reduce premiums in the individual market by anywhere from 14-20 percent according to the Congressional Budget Office,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  “Between now and then, we will continue to work with States to ensure consumers are receiving value for their premium dollars and to avoid the kind of double digit premium increases seen recently.  The State proposals approved today demonstrate the need and desire for new resources and tools to help them protect against unjustifiable premium increases.”

The Affordable Care Act provides States with $250 million in Health Insurance Premium Review Grants over five years to help create a more level playing field by improving how States review proposed health insurance premium increases and holding insurance companies accountable for unjustified premium increases.  Applications for the first round of Health Insurance Premium Review Grants were made available on June 7.

The grants build on the Obama Administration’s work with States to implement the Affordable Care Act. Earlier this year, Secretary Sebelius called on certain insurance companies to justify large premium increases and encouraged State and local officials to obtain stronger health insurance premium review authorities under State laws.  This increased scrutiny by the Administration and by several States has led to the withdrawal or reduction of several proposed health insurance premium increases that in some cases turned out to be based on faulty assumptions and data.