Great health care news

Dear MoveOn member,

Winning health care reform was the biggest progressive victory in a generation—and it would never have happened without your hard work and dedication.

So this holiday weekend, we wanted to share some happy news: the latest on how the new health care law is shaping up. Check it out—and feel seriously proud for helping make this happen.

The big news so far:

• This week, www.HealthCare.gov, a new online portal where anyone can go to find insurance options in their state, went live. It's a very handy resource for information that used to be difficult to find. It's available to help millions who need insurance find it, and as a resource for those who want to shop around for new options or find out their new benefits under the new law.
  

• States are starting to create new insurance pools for hundreds of thousands of people with serious medical conditions who had previously been unable to get insurance. Federal grants to help with setup are on their way to states right now.¹


• In June, 80,000 checks were mailed to seniors to help with prescription drug costs not covered by Medicare. By the end of the year, an estimated 4 million checks will go out.² 


• And of course, many of the key insurance reforms—allowing young adults to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26, and making it illegal to deny a child or baby insurance because of a "pre-existing condition"—have already started to take effect.³ 

Now, many of the major reforms—the new health insurance exchanges, an end to pre-existing condition discrimination for adults, and more—have yet to go into effect. And of course there's more work to be done to fight for truly universal health care and a public health insurance option.

But the changes so far will help literally millions of people get or keep insurance. And the work you and millions of other MoveOn members did is a huge reason why. And that's just pretty great.

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend. And thanks, as always, for all that you do.

–Kat, Jeff, Duncan, Milan, Anna, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "'High-risk' pool medical insurance program set to begin," The Los Angeles Times, July 1, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89299&id=21542-10220574-ilLzIix&t=1

"D.C., Md. and Va. to get $207 million to operate high-risk insurance pools," The Washington Post, July 1, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89300&id=21542-10220574-ilLzIix&t=2

2. First 'doughnut hole' checks go to seniors to help with Medicare prescription shortfalls
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15291641

3. "Insurers to Comply With Rules on Children," The New York Times, March 30, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89301&id=21542-10220574-ilLzIix&t=3

"Health care reform begins to be felt," The Modesto Bee, June 28, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89302&id=21542-10220574-ilLzIix&t=4

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