From Colorado’s western slopes to the eastern plains, Affordable Care Acts, or ACA, make health care more accessible to Coloradans across the state.
It provided a safety net for mothers and caregivers whose husband and son are disabled.
It provided a sense of security amid uncertainty to a recently fired widow.
It offers a cost-effective alternative to families who can’t afford the $2,400 Cobra Premium.
It provided consistent mental health support to young women who lost their jobs during the pandemic.
And it provided access to critical care and a new sense of hope for a boy diagnosed with cancer.
There are thousands of stories like this. They are the stories of our neighbors – workers, children, full-time students, pregnant people, small business owners, elderly people, caregivers, people with disabilities, and more.
March 23rd is 15 years from now The ACA has been signed to the lawtransforming access to affordable, inclusive, quality healthcare for millions of Americans. With financial support to reduce premiums and out-of-pocket costs, the ACA created a health insurance market, boosting federal funds to states that expanded Medicaid.
The ACA allows states to cover more people, reduce health disparities, and reduce uncompensated care for hospitals and other healthcare providers. Additionally, the ACA is increasing access to essential health services, including preventive care, mental health treatments and life-saving prescription medications.
In Colorado, more than 282,000 people in Colorado are registered with health insurance through the state’s official health insurance market, Connect for Health Colorado. Colorado began in 2011, just after the ACA came into effect in 2023. No insurance fee It fell from 16% to less than 5%.
Lower uninsured fees reduce costs for all Coloradans. When uninsured people seek care, hospitals still have unpaid care costs, which burdens health systems that increase costs and premiums for those with insurance and insurance. As a result of the decline in the number of uninsured people in Colorado, Medical debt It’s reduced, the family is more It’s economically safeand individuals are better Health outcomes.
Strengthening grants based on financial support at the ACA – Subsidies expanded by Congress until 2025 have reduced monthly premiums for even more Americans, making health insurance more affordable. In fact, three of the five Colorado clients were eligible for a health insurance plan of less than $10 a month after receiving a tax credit. Applied.
But if Congress doesn’t act, people will lose access to health care. Without this financial support, premiums will increase, tens of thousands of Coloradans will lose their health insurance, and the health care they are valuable and necessary for themselves and their families.
There is no doubt that Affordable Care Act has benefited millions of Americans by creating a continuum of affordable, high-quality health insurance options from urban to rural areas.
But after 15 years of meaningful advancements, we take the ACA for granted and forget that access to healthcare was once significantly restricted. Coloradans can be denied health insurance, exclude health status, or be forced to pay higher premiums based on health history and existing conditions.
As state healthcare leaders, we recall each day the ACA continues to bring to Coloradan: family, friends and neighbors.
As Congress is engaged in budget conversations on healthcare, by continuing the enhanced subsidies that have provided so much help to many people, maintaining and strengthening the Affordable Care Act will be done with courage and compassion.
These important programs have changed the lives of all Americans and should not be back now.
Aurora’s Kevin Patterson is CEO of Connect For Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance market.
Denver’s Michael Conway is a Colorado Insurance Commissioner and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Insurance Department and oversees regulations for the Colorado insurance industry.
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