New Report Shows how the Affordable Care Act is Helping Pittsburghers

Press Release

Today, U.S. Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA) released a report providing details about the ways in which the Affordable Care Act is helping the residents of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District.

"Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 300,000 of the 700,000 people in the 14th Congressional District are now eligible for free preventative care, and some of the worst practices of the health insurance industry have been banned," Congressman Doyle observed in releasing the report, which was prepared by the Democratic staff of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

"The Affordable Care Act is protecting more than 200,000 people in the 14th District from lifetime limits on their private health insurance benefits, and something like 30,000 children in the District can no longer be denied insurance coverage due to pre-existing conditions," Congressman Doyle added. "What's more, as of January 1, those 200,000 people will be protected from annual limits on their private health insurance coverage, and private health insurance companies won't be allowed to discriminate against anyone with a pre-existing condition. These reforms will make a huge difference to families in the 14th District, who will have greater peace of mind and more financial security."

The report also highlights the benefits of the Affordable Care Act to seniors, who now get free preventive care from Medicare and pay less for prescription drugs if they fall into the Medicare Part D prescription drug "donut hole."

The Affordable Care Act has also made it possible for thousands of young adults in Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District to stay on their parents' insurance plans up until they turn 26.

"The Affordable Care Act has already helped hundreds of thousands of people in the 14th District, and as the remaining provisions of the new law are implemented, the Affordable Care Act will benefit many more," Congressman Doyle stated. "Unfortunately, thousands of our friends and neighbors who are currently uninsured could have had access to affordable health care coverage if Governor Corbett and the state legislature had agreed to participate in the Medicaid expansion offered under the Affordable Care Act. I think it's a disgrace that our state government has rejected this opportunity to provide much-needed help to the working poor in Pennsylvania."

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