Boston, MA — Healthcare workers from across the Commonwealth will join President Obama in historic Faneuil Hall today to celebrate the Affordable Care Act, a law that is saving lives and lowering healthcare costs for patients across the country.
The nurses, doctors and healthcare workers of SEIU were instrumental in supporting the 2006 passage of former Governor Mitt Romney’s health reform law, which was also strongly supported by healthcare providers, business, faith leaders and healthcare advocates for its vision of ensuring quality, affordable healthcare for the vast majority of Massachusetts residents.
Seven years later, healthcare workers can testify that the Massachusetts law, which is the foundation for the Affordable Care Act, is working for their patients, families and communities.
Bernard Bowens, a healthcare worker at Cape Cod Hospital, said about the law: “We have definitely seen more patients getting basic preventive care. This is enormously important to patients’ health, and also a way of making sure healthcare dollars aren’t unnecessarily spent on costly emergency room care. The national healthcare law makes this same investment; we know it works. “
The Affordable Care Act took essential elements of the Massachusetts law, ideas supported by both Democrats and Republicans, including:
Private market health plans form the basis for expanded coverage and compete for business;Universal participation or an “individual mandate” to prevent only older, sicker individuals from being the only participants in the marketplace and increasing costs;A base of expanded Medicaid coverage for low-income working adults who simply could not afford healthcare plans through the marketplace.
Seven years later, 98 percent of Massachusetts residents have the security of health coverage and the state is now turning toward mechanisms to lower overall healthcare costs, something the Affordable Care Act built in from the beginning.
Carlita Suarez, a homecare worker from Lawrence, MA said: “I gained healthcare coverage thanks to the Massachusetts law after going for too long without it. There are millions of Americans like me who will be able to afford the healthcare and medications they need to be free from the risk of medical bankruptcy – or worse – thanks to the Affordable Care Act. The law is life-changing.”
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Representing more than 400,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, and Washington, D.C., 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. More than 47,000 healthcare workers in Massachusetts are united through 1199SEIU for quality care and quality jobs. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all. 1199SEIU is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union.
The nurses, doctors and healthcare workers of SEIU were instrumental in supporting the 2006 passage of former Governor Mitt Romney’s health reform law, which was also strongly supported by healthcare providers, business, faith leaders and healthcare advocates for its vision of ensuring quality, affordable healthcare for the vast majority of Massachusetts residents.
Seven years later, healthcare workers can testify that the Massachusetts law, which is the foundation for the Affordable Care Act, is working for their patients, families and communities.
Bernard Bowens, a healthcare worker at Cape Cod Hospital, said about the law: “We have definitely seen more patients getting basic preventive care. This is enormously important to patients’ health, and also a way of making sure healthcare dollars aren’t unnecessarily spent on costly emergency room care. The national healthcare law makes this same investment; we know it works. “
The Affordable Care Act took essential elements of the Massachusetts law, ideas supported by both Democrats and Republicans, including:
Private market health plans form the basis for expanded coverage and compete for business;Universal participation or an “individual mandate” to prevent only older, sicker individuals from being the only participants in the marketplace and increasing costs;A base of expanded Medicaid coverage for low-income working adults who simply could not afford healthcare plans through the marketplace.
Seven years later, 98 percent of Massachusetts residents have the security of health coverage and the state is now turning toward mechanisms to lower overall healthcare costs, something the Affordable Care Act built in from the beginning.
Carlita Suarez, a homecare worker from Lawrence, MA said: “I gained healthcare coverage thanks to the Massachusetts law after going for too long without it. There are millions of Americans like me who will be able to afford the healthcare and medications they need to be free from the risk of medical bankruptcy – or worse – thanks to the Affordable Care Act. The law is life-changing.”
# # #
Representing more than 400,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, and Washington, D.C., 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. More than 47,000 healthcare workers in Massachusetts are united through 1199SEIU for quality care and quality jobs. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all. 1199SEIU is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union.
