Congresswoman Clarke's Statement on Saving Lives with the Affordable Care Act

Press Release

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on a report from the Department of Health and Human Services which demonstrates that thousands of lives have been saved by safety precautions required under the Affordable Care Act.

As a result of procedures developed by a collaboration between the federal government and health care providers, the number of "hospital acquired conditions" -- often illnesses contracted while at a hospital -- have declined by 1.3 million between 2010 and 2013, a decrease of seventeen percent. An estimated 50,000 people have survived because of these improved safety precautions, and $12 billion has been saved.

"I supported the Affordable Care Act not only to expand access to health care in the United States, but also to improve the quality of health care to which we have access. The thousands of lives we have saved -- and the many people who avoided contracting an illness -- demonstrate that collaboration between public health agencies and health care providers has the potential to dramatically improve our health, both as individuals and as a community," said Congresswoman Clarke.

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