On the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius held a national call with university reporters Friday to discuss the benefits of the new health care law to the graduating class of 2011.
The 2011 class will be the first to graduate since the implementation of the dependent coverage provision, as well as other vital new consumer protections, Sebelius said. The White House expects about 2.1 million graduates to benefit from the act.
Sebelius said over the last year, she’s traveled around the country to see how the law has affected different individuals.
“One of the groups that benefits from the laws most is young Americans,” she said. “I know when my sons graduated from college, they were not headed to jobs that came with health insurance.”
Up until the act passed, depending on what state the student lived in, they could only stay on the parent’s plan until the age of 19. With the new law, students can stay on the act until the age of 26, Sebelius said.
Besides basic coverage, the act has other benefits as well.
“All Americans that join the plans get key deductibles,” Sebelius said.
During the call, she also pointed out insurance companies can no longer drop those enrolled due to pre-existing conditions.
The secretary said “it’s really disappointing” that some in Congress are still trying to repeal the law.
“We are eager to hear their ideas on how to improve the law, but taking away coverage, raising the cost of preventative care is not the right answer,” she said.
Emily Schlichting participated on the call to share her healthcare experiences as an individual diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. She said when the bill was signed into law, a “huge burden” was lifted off her.
“It gives me security in terms of knowing that when I get sick that health care will be there,” she said. “I can’t tell you how much that piece of mind means. The Affordable Care Act is not only the guarantee of security, but it is an investment for the future.”
Sebelius also discussed the recent court cases determining the constitutionality of the act. She said so far, 13 federal judges just dismissed the case, but five have ruled on the merits.
“Three found it constitutional and two found it to be unconstitutional, but they both agreed it should continue to be implemented while it goes through additional courts,” she said. “We’re moving ahead and at the end, we believe it will be declared constitutional.”
For more information about the Affordable Care Act, visit healthcare.gov.
