Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

For far too long, America's health insurance system has been too costly, inaccessible and inefficient for families and small businesses. Congressman Hoyer supported the passage and enactment ofthe Affordable Care Act, which includes critical insurance reforms that put patients -- not insurance companies -- in control of their health care, while ensuring that the U.S. health care system continues to be the best in the world.

The Affordable Care is making a significant difference for Maryland families. Thanks to the law, up to 2.5 million Marylanders with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, cancer, or diabetes -- including up to 320,000 children -- no longer have to worry about being denied coverage or charged higher prices. Additionally, 46,000 young adults in Maryland have gained health insurance because they can now stay on their parents' health plans until age 26; over 1.5 million Marylanders on private insurance have gained coverage for at least one free preventive health care service such as a mammogram, birth control, or an immunization; and 45,900 seniors and people with disabilities in Maryland have saved on average $916 on prescription medications in the first ten months of 2013 alone.

Through the launch of the Maryland Health Connection and our state's expansion of Medicaid, over 295,000 Marylanders enrolled in health care coverage this year. While the deadline for open enrollment for 2014 has passed, individuals looking for more information are encouraged to visit www.MarylandHealthConnection.gov or call 1-855-642-8572.

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