News release
How Does the Affordable Care Act Play in Peoria?
September 21, 2010
Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996
MomsRising to Hold Blog Carnival On Six-Month Anniversary of Health Reform
Since its passage six months ago, some politicians, pundits and prognosticators have been hitting the airwaves insisting that the Affordable Care Act is too complicated, too cumbersome and doomed to fail. Yet, very little has been heard from the families that might take advantage of the new law’s provisions – provisions that will expand health care coverage to a more than an additional than 30 million people, and curb insurance company practices of dropping people when they get sick, denying coverage for children who have pre-existing conditions, and lifetime caps.
To give voice to those whom the Act was designed to help, MomsRising, the online and one-the-ground grassroots organization for moms and everyone who has a mom, has been encouraging mothers and others from all across the country to share their experiences with and feelings about the new law. Those stories will be the centerpiece of a MomsRising blog carnival on the Affordable Care Act that begins at noon on Wednesday, September 23. The blog carnival will also feature posts from experts across the country discussing the impact of new provisions of health care reform on women's health, children's health, the elderly, diverse communities, and small business. Visit the carnival at http://www.momsrising.org/blog/welcome-bloggers-join-our-healthcare-blog-carnival-in-full-swing/.
“This blog carnival will bring to the forefront the expectations and experiences of people who will be touched by the Affordable Care Act,” said MomsRising Executive Director and Co-Founder Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. “For months, we have been hearing from moms, dads, grandparents and others who are anticipating the ways in which the law will provide them with not just health care services, but peace of mind. Now, we are sharing their stories with a broader public on our web site and we’re complementing their stories with blogs that paint a more complete picture of the need for full implementation of health reform.”
MomsRising has gathered hundreds of stories from moms, dads, grandparents and others all across the country and posted them on a map of the United States online.
A sampling of the stories is below.
A South Dakota grandmother writes:
“My little granddaughter has a ‘preexisting condition’ that would have prevented her family from getting coverage for her. The fact that her parents did not have health insurance while they went to school caused them to hesitate to get the proper treatment for her because they worried that later, when they got health insurance, she would be denied coverage because of it. Her parents recently finished school and have a new job that offers health insurance. They had decided to start her treatment because the sooner a child with her condition is started on appropriate therapy, the more likely it is that she will recover and live a normal life. They -and I- are breathing so much easier now, knowing that she will not be denied health insurance.”
Susan in Florida writes:
“My daughter is 23 years old and uninsurable due to several pre-existing conditions. She is also still a student. When she turned 23, the coverage that we have through my husband's employer would no longer cover her. Since then, we've purchased insurance through school. Starting this January, we can put her back onto my husband's insurance. This will be advantageous for us and for her. Thank you, President Obama!”
Janice in Minnesota writes:
“Every year I have gone in the doughnut hole for prescription drugs. I will again this year but at least I will get a $250. rebate to help me out. I'm a fan of the health care reform bill.”
Valerie in Washington writes:
“I have a 24 year old son who on the day he turned 23 he was kicked off my insurance policy. During that year the rule was changed so he could stay on until he turned 25 but he had pre-existing conditions and they were giving us a hard time about adding him back on. He's a college student and it is important that he be on my policy.
“We were in the middle of going back and forth with our insurance company, going through reams of paper to fill out when President Obama signed the new health care reform law. Within a week the insurance company had added my son and now I know I'll be able to keep him on my policy until he turns 26!”
Visitors to the site are also invited to post their experiences with and expectations for health reform.
Experts from Georgetown University, Children Now, First Focus, the National Women’s Law Center, Young Invincibles and many others will participate in the blog carnival. Actress and activist Fran Drescher will join MomsRising on September 23 for a TweetChat that highlights the carnival.