This morning, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act was constitutional, and subsequently, that the law can continue to provide benefits to millions of Americans.
The Affordable Care Act’s impact for Oregonians, by the numbers:
--196 community health centers in Oregon that received $66.2 million to expand their capacities.
--43,000 young adults that have now gained insurance coverage because of the law.
--50,000 people with Medicare that received a $250 rebate to help cover the cost of their prescription drugs when hitting the donut hole in 2010.
--390,000 Oregonians with Medicare that received free preventive services in 2011 alone.
--1.35 million Oregonians that no longer need to worry about lifetime limits on coverage.
--$42.5 million dollars in saved prescription drug costs for Oregonians on Medicare.
--$64.7 million in grants for research planning, and information technology development of Affordable Care Exchanges.
Earl was proud to vote for this historic health care reform legislation and will continue to ensure that Oregon is leading the way to improve the quality, equity and effectiveness of health care at the local level.