Health Care Reform Affordable Care Act Robert Morris MS, MPH Vice President Health Initiatives American Cancer Society

WHY HEALTH CARE REFORM The lack of adequate and affordable health insurance has serious consequences for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke patients and survivors. Individuals without health insurance are less likely to receive preventative treatment or early detection screenings and are more likely to delay treatment. For example, in a 2010 ACS poll of individuals under age 65 who Have cancer or a history of cancer, 34 percent reported delaying care because of cost in the past 12 months. AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY CANCER ACTION NETWORK, A National Poll: Facing Cancer in the Health Care System (2010). More specifically, 29 percent delayed needed health care, 19 percent delayed getting a recommended cancer test or treatment, and 22 percent delayed a routine cancer check-up.

WHY HEALTH CARE REFORM At every level of education, individuals with health insurance are about twice as likely as those without it to have access to key cancer early detection procedures, such as mammography or colorectal screenings. Elizabeth Ward, et al., Association of Insurance with Cancer Care Utilization and Outcomes,58 CANCER J. FOR CLINICIANS 9 (2008).

The Politics of Health Care

The Political Landscape

Affordable Care Act Protecting Provisions for Cancer Patients and their Families Banning pre-existing condition exclusions Eliminating annual and lifetime benefit limits Guaranteeing health coverage to all applicants Prohibiting insurers from charging people more for coverage because of their health status Refocusing the health care system on disease prevention and early detection Exchanges

Health Insurance Coverage SOURCE: Congressional Budget Office, March 20, 2010 Total Nonelderly Population = 282 million

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Enrolled in Exchange24 million Subsidized in Exchange19 million Premium Subsidies Cost$464 billion Additionally Covered by Medicaid/CHIP16 million Medicaid Expansion Cost$434 billion Remaining Uninsured23 million Total 10-Year Cost of Coverage Provisions$938 billion 10-Year Federal Deficit Savings$124 billion Health Reform by the Numbers, SOURCE: Congressional Budget Office, 2010.

Right Now…. Young adults can now stay on their parent ’ s health plan up to age 26. Some small businesses with fewer than 25 employees can get help paying for the cost of providing health insurance. Insurance companies can ’ t deny health coverage to kids with pre-existing conditions. Adults who have been uninsured for at least 6 months and have been denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition may now get coverage.

Right Now…. Insurance companies can ’ t place dollar limits on the health care they cover in your lifetime Those in Medicare can get preventive services and screenings, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, at no cost to them. New health plans must offer preventive and screening services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, at no cost to the patient.

Views On Health Reform Remain Divided As you may know, a health reform bill was signed into law early last year. Given what you know about the health reform law, do you have a generally favorable or generally unfavorable opinion of it? FavorableUnfavorableDon’t know/Refused ACA signed into law on March 23, Source: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls

About Half Remain Confused About ACA; Three In Ten Enthusiastic Or Angry Percent who say that each of the following describes their feelings about the health reform law: ENTHUSIASTIC ANGRY CONFUSED 2010 Source: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls

Favorability of the ACA Among Key Subgroups Percent who say they have a favorable opinion of the health reform law: Source: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls BY AGEBY RACE/ETHNICITY BY INCOME BY INSURANCE STATUS (<65)